𝒸ₐₚₜₐᵢₙWesker

@crypticagent

ᵖᵃʳᵒᵈʸ ᵃᶜᶜ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬、 you make me p͟r͟o͟u͟d͟

52 posts

but — 𝘰𝘧𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 , 𝘆𝗼𝘂

are one of m͟y͟ men、

⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ @\albertwesker rp blog

MULTISHIPPER. SEMI ACTIVE.

、mostly always ic

RE

#stars era #stars wesker #intro post #rp blog #resident evil #resident evil rp #chrisker #crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

His face would immediately flush red, his grip on his hands tightening instinctively as he looked to the side and smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to say that at all! Why would he do that! He reached with his spare hand to scratch the back of his neck, although it couldn't fix how hard his heart was pounding.

He sighed and slumped on the table again, moving his free hand from his neck to his face to cover it, grumbling into it. He was clearly extremely embarrassed that it had slipped out.

He slowly gazed upward at his captain, still not letting go of his hand anytime soon, as he grinned, trying to play it cool.

" Haha, Sorry, captain! I—uh, messed up with my words. . ." Definitely, he himself knew that was a lie, but he couldn't admit it, could he?

He eventually noticed the way Wesker was kneading at his shoulder like a cat making biscuits. That image made him let out a fond giggle, his nose crinkling as he laughed.

Wesker raised a brow in suspicion, closely hyper-analysing every miniscule reaction from Chris once again.

How he made his movements, when he made them, how fast he made them .. what movements he ended up doing overall.

Digging deeper into his mind, what every tiny thing could possibly mean or link back to.

He found that handy about himself sometimes. However, it was also a feature about himself he despised, as it only led to further issues or miscalculations in judgement.

His mind had circled around for a decent while. If he didn't know any better, he would've kissed the man in front of him then and there… but his pride and shame got the better of him.

‘‘ Messed up. ’’

He'd repeat under his breath with a soft sigh, shaking his head left to right in disapproval.

‘‘ What time do you usually head out to feed this 'stray' of yours? ’’

A quick, easy subject change. He didn't want to acknowledge how awkward the moment had been just moments prior or how he had responded to the situation alone.

Although he unconsciously tilted his head when the other man broke out into a small fit of giggling. Pure confusion crossing his face.

‘‘ …What's so funny? ’’

His fit of giggles eventually stopped, though he still looked at his captain with that affectionate expression. He gazed at his captain's face. Even though he wasn't an observant person himself, he still noticed the little things about his captain, and those little things made his heartbeat feel even louder.

His attention eventually returned to the man's eyes. He had been momentarily distracted and didn't respond to the question at first, blinking his eyes with confusion before eventually realizing that he had been asked something.

" Oh! Uh— I usually go after I get off work, I pass by the park on my way back home anyway!"

He seemed to still be quite flustered from the earlier fumble he had made, but was slightly thankful for the subject change.

His heart wanted to explode out of his chest when Wesker tilted his head and asked that question. He wanted to hold the man and spin him around!

"Nothing! Nothing… It's just, uh, you sorta looked like a cat doing that. It's cute!" he admitted shamelessly, his eyes sparkling with adoration. He thought for a moment before reaching out and gently placing a hand on his captain's cheek. He had no idea what he was doing himself, but he hoped that he didn't mess up just now.

Wesker gave the smallest nod in response, his eyes softening once again for a couple of passing seconds. He couldn't quite help it. His body certainly betrayed him during these moments.

He'd open his mouth like he had something to say, yet no words came out. So he closed it again.

Thankfully, drastic reactions weren't ever very prominent with Wesker. But the faint red on his face was there no matter what he did, said or thought.

‘‘ Repeat? ’’

He heard what he said, loud and clear.

…But maybe some part of him wanted to hear it again.

Much to his dismay, he leaned into Chris' touch. It wasn't something he got to experience often. Though it was a mental battle to accept any sort of affection as it was, he couldn't pass down this moment.

Chris's heart skipped another beat as he glanced at his captain, who seemed to be leaning into his touch. He was nearly convinced he was seeing things, that he might blink and the entire situation would vanish in an instant.

But as a minute passed by, nothing changed, although he noticed the faint hint of a blush on Wesker's face, which made him even giddier inside. He hesitated when asked to repeat what he had said. He averted his gaze and paused, eventually repeating it in what seemed to be an embarrassed tone.

"I said, it's uh . . . cute!" He stammered, lightly tracing his thumb along Wesker's cheek. He definitely didn't recognize this side of his captain, but he wanted to see it more.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

He'd remain quiet for a long while, eyelids fluttering shut for just a couple of seconds. Savouring the moment as it lasted.

His hand repositioned again, this time to lightly settle on the back of Chris' hand. Holding it where it was, against his face.

Truthfully, he'd never felt so uncharacteristically soft before. The need to be so.. gentle?

Never once had he ever thought in his life that he'd be in a situation such as this one.

And he was.

It killed some part of him to know that one man, his words, and his touch could reduce him to this.

What a sight for sore eyes.

He reopened his eyes to look at Chris. Really look at him, this time. Even if it wasn't very easy to tell what he did with his eyes beyond the black tinted shades of his.

The rest of Wesker was blissfully unaware of how he seemed outside of his perspective. Especially in his point man's eyes.

Without another thought, he'd lean closer. Hand travelling to the side of Chris' face instead as he placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Letting that linger for a few more milliseconds longer before he made the slightest slither of distance between them. Still far too close, but enough so that their lips didn't touch. Wesker was barely processing what he'd just done in his own head…

As though gears were turning on repeat but not ever coming to a conclusion.

He froze in place, his eyes widening in the greatest shock he had ever felt, hands lifting in the air aimlessly. His heart felt like it had almost stopped. He never thought that this would happen in a million years, and yet it was happening right now. He stayed still for a millisecond exactly before immediately melting into the kiss, and fluttering his eyelids closed.

As the kiss ended, he slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. He was speechless, and frankly, he didn't want to ruin the moment. He gently bumped his forehead against Wesker's. He stayed still for a couple of seconds more before leaning in again and returning the soft, gentle kiss.

His mind was running through so many thoughts that it was almost incoherent, but they all landed on one thing, the man in front of him, whom he never wanted to be apart from ever. He pulled away from the kiss ever so slightly and reached out, wanting to remove his captain's glasses to see those beautiful blue eyes, but waiting for a confirmation from him, searching his face.

The smallest smile curled onto his lips the second that Chris reciprocated. Right then and there, nothing else mattered. Nothing else but that man.

The way he looked at him, how carefully he handled him for a reason that even Wesker couldn't name.

There was the slightest hitch in his breathing pattern at first. However, it didn't seem like it took long for him to adjust.

He'd spent so long, far too long, wanting this moment himself. Craving it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't something he was able to come to terms with for a long, long time, and he wasn't so sure how far this moment would go or the time it would last.

Wesker didn't speak. If he did, he knew he'd sound utterly ridiculous doing so.

That red on his face darkened, the faint shade creeping up his neck and in on his face. He'd spent a decent while studying Chris' face. Eyes shifting towards his hand for a second before settling back on the man's face.

He'd nod.

Simple, silent confirmation.

Chris would instantly beam upon receiving confirmation, making contact with the sunglasses and slowly pulling them off to show Wesker's blue eyes. He paused, his hand with the sunglasses suspended in the air. He never expected his captain to have such beautiful eyes.

He was mesmerized, his blush deepening as he placed the glasses on the table, instead cupping his captain's face and gently rubbing his thumb close to the corner of his eye, taking in his face fully for a long moment.

"Whoa, they're beautiful…" he eventually spoke, his voice, although hushed, not wanting the moment to end too soon.

Wesker was fairly hesitant, but he adjusted in no time.

His eyes met Chris' for a lasting minute, gaze softening all over again. The way in which Chris admired him like he was something precious really did make him feel painfully weak, in a good way?

It was hard to explain.

He'd never been fond of being in such a position, but this man made it so unbelievably manageable.

Likeable, dare I say.

He'd glance down to the right, parting his lips to speak—but to no avail. His eyes trailed back up to Chris the moment he heard that compliment.

Him?

His eyes?

Beautiful?

‘‘ Chris… ’’

Wesker muttered, eyes half lidded. Briefly closing whenever Chris would brush his thumb to the corner of his eye so gently.

‘‘ I do not see the appeal that you do .. ’’

It was a wonderful feeling. Knowing that someone else could appreciate him and the parts of him he may hold insecurities about… even if he'd never voice that out loud.

It was so wonderful that it stung some part of him deep inside. It was almost addictive.

He'd never felt so.. cherished.

Chris still gazed at him with a soft, tender expression, his eyes fixed only on Wesker, ignoring everything else but the man in front of him.

He immediately frowned when he heard his captain's words. How could his captain dismiss how beautiful his eyes looked? He could have stared at them for hours if given the chance. His heart melted at the sight of Wesker's half-lidded eyes and how he closed them briefly as well. His thumb gently brushed his face.

"What do you mean? It's the truth!" he huffed, clearly pouting, even as he continued to brush his thumb against the corner of Wesker's eyes. How could he show him that his eyes were the most beautiful thing on earth?

He paused for a moment, then a flicker of an idea sparked in his mind. He fluttered his eyes before shifting his hands away slightly, back to the side of his captain's face, then leaned in and landed soft, gentle kisses on his eyelid. He wasn't even thinking anymore— this man was preoccupying his entire mind!

‘‘ The truth.. ’’

He whispered under his own breath, scoffing in disbelief. Wesker spent his time searching Chris' face for any hint of a sign that he'd be lying. That he was saying all this just because.

However, the light kisses to his eyelids shut that train of thoughts down FAST. He couldn't articulate a proper response—he could barely process what was going on, let alone what he should say or do. This was new to him. Emotional intimacy or anything of that sort wasn't something that he knew very well.

But that didn't matter, did it?

Chris didn't mind. So he didn't find himself questioning it further. Simply.. accepted.

‘‘ Mm.. you are ridiculous. ’’

Betraying his own words, his tone lacked any real bite to it. Rather, it was only a way to fill the silence. Although that wasn't necessarily needed, his own inability to figure out a reaction was gnawing away at him inside and out.

Wesker exhaled a soft sigh, tilting his head down south a tiny bit. Not a major movement, only a small shift. Showing his eyes alone was embarrassing to him.

One of his hands slid back up to cup Chris' own, fingers gently grazing across the back of his hand.

Chris had eventually stopped the soft kisses on the other man's eyelids, his eyes fluttering open while he gazed at the man still so close by him. He hummed softly as his hand was captured by his captain's. He let it stay there for a couple of seconds before shifting his hand to intertwine their hands.

He moved their joined hands closer to himself, planting a kiss on the middle of Wesker's hand and then, grinning like an idiot, he knew his captain struggled with these types of things, so if he had to be the one leading it, so be it, he didn't mind at all! As long as he could give all his love to him.

"I'm not ridiculous! I won't be silenced, I'll speak my truuuthh! " He muttered the last part in a teasing singy-songy voice, his other free hand still gently caressing the side of his captain's face.

Wesker's eyes slowllllyyy lifted to Chris' eyes for what felt like the twentieth time now, after studying his hand for an eternity.

He did nothing but silently watch, returning a decently melancholic gaze.

He couldn't help but wonder about the future ahead of them. How would he process this moment afterwards? What would he say? Do? Everything felt too surreal.

‘‘ I.. believe break has gone overtime. ’’

He'd clear his throat, eyelids fluttering shut as he pondered.

Yet despite the dismissal, it didn't seem like he wanted the moment to end, himself. He only seemed to disappoint himself by making the time known.

He wasn't sure when he'd experience this again.

…Would Chris look at him the same once this time was over?

Was all he thought in his mind, unconsciously leaning back into the man's hand like it was some sort of life support for him.

His actions realllyyy betrayed how much he tried to deny or make sense of this scenario in his head…

He met his gaze with his own soft gaze, peering into those melancholic eyes. He wasn't thinking about anything else but this moment. He didn't say anything more as they both stared at each other.

Although he snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the man speak, his eyebrows raised, he felt disappointed that their time together was ending, turning to look at the clock in the middle of the cafeteria's wall. Then he turned back to Wesker and squeezed his hand.

"Oh man, really? I don't want this to end . . ." he muttered under his breath, his eyes conveying a pleading stare, almost like a puppy's eyes.

He noticed the way his captain had leaned into his hand, batting his eyes before very gently tilting his head and planting another kiss on his forehead. He couldn't help himself! How could a person be this adorable, especially his captain? He just wanted to remove all his worries and fears that he might not show...

Wesker frowned slightly at Chris' pleading stare, taking his time to study his eyes with his own half-lidded ones.

Eventually, that was cut short yet again when the kiss was placed against his forehead, the heat in his face worsening.

With a sigh, he shook his head side to side.

‘‘ I must work, as should you… ’’

A beat of silence passed.

Then, one eye reopened, revealing that tinted blue iris once more.

‘‘ Or, you come to my office. ’’

He'd fall silent like before, letting the offer hang in the air. It wasn't often he invited people to his space… let alone after a scene such as this one.

But truth be told, he wanted it to keep going.

Chris let out a disappointed huff at the reminder of how he had to work. Oh man, can't they stay in this moment forever? He groaned, despite his pouting, he never removed his hand from his captain's face, enjoying the contact between them.

" Psssh, stupid dumb boring woorrrkk…." he mumbled, closing his eyes and sighing dramatically.

Although the disappointment didn't last long, as he heard the offer, he immediately stood up eagerly, and opened his eyes that were now shimmering, making contact with his captain's own beautiful eyes. He definitely wasn't saying no to this, not in a million years!

" Really? Really?? You'd allow me??" he questioned enthusiastically, now beaming with joy.

‘‘ Yes, you… ’’

Wesker hummed, a quiet chuckle slipping from his throat.

‘‘ As long as you do not disrupt me, fully, ’’

Vaguely implying that he would let him, to a degree. As long as he could get something done work wise. He truly did favour Chris and his affection more than he believed, or let on.

Despite his attempt at staying unaffected, which clearly didn't work—he'd bring Chris' hand around front to kiss each of his knuckles and then settle it back upon his own cheek for a few minutes.

Dragging out the lasting moment before bringing their hands back down infront of them both.

‘‘ Well? ’’

An expectant question to receive an answer. So impatient, for someone who claims not to care…!!

His eyes seemed to sparkle even more, if that was possible, although he immediately felt flustered when Wesker kissed his knuckles. He felt like he had fallen even deeper into a never-ending hole, which he frankly didn't want to escape from.

He let out a nervous laugh, turning his gaze aside as he tried to compose himself. Then he shifted his eyes back to him, eventually nodding, and turned back to squeeze his hand gently while looking into his eyes with admiration, still captivated after what felt like quite a while.

"Aha— no promises, Captain!" he responded, brushing his thumb against Wesker's hand. He wasn't planning to let go anytime soon!

He stayed silent for a moment, simply staring at the man before blinking and tilting his head at the expectant, impatient question. He grinned widely as he raised their joined hands slightly.

"Yes! Yes, yes! Yeah, I'd like that very much! Thought I made it clear, Ahha—"

Wesker kept his gaze ahead, entirely focusing on Chris. Ironic, for somebody who claimed that little to nobody was worth his time or attention.

Yet, here he was, offering his fullest to this man.

He mentally noted his reactions to his gestures.. that he was for sure replicating by himself.

That was a good response, yes? Being nervous. Well.. when it was anyone BUT himself experiencing that sort of feeling.

‘‘ I prefer verbal confirmation than my own assumptions. ’’

Wesker slid one hand away to sweep up his sunglasses in between his fingers, placing them back upon his face. He'd probably take them off again once they were in a more appropriate location, such as his office, but he didn't want anyone else to note his appearance without them. That, and light sensitivity…

‘‘ Very well then.. come along. ’’

Chris still seemed a bit flustered but stared back at his captain, who had the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen in his entire life.

He blinked as he watched Wesker place his sunglasses back on. Part of him felt disappointed that he couldn't stare into those soft eyes at this moment anymore. He moved his free hand back and tapped it on the table, out of habit, turning his gaze down at their hands, then back at Wesker, his eyes gleaming and full of joy.

"Well, if you say so!" he hummed before immediately standing up upon hearing the confirmation from his captain. He still held one of his hands, waiting impatiently for the other man to stand up—almost ready to rush to the office before him if he could.

"Come on, come on! Let's go!" He exclaimed as he gently tugged on his hand, then moved his other hand to grasp Wesker's, which he was holding still with his other hand.

Wesker watched Chris stand in complete silence for a moment, doing nothing but staring. He was oddly captivated by this man and his reactions…

He snapped out of it at the impatient tug of his hand, followed with energetic exclaims. And with that, he moved to his feet. Rewarding the other with a nod.

‘‘ I'm coming, I'm coming… quiet down a little. ’’

A quiet, quick sigh came after.

‘‘ Leave the packaging here. Someone will dispose of it. ’’

Subsequently, he'd swerve out from his seat and bring Chris with him, never daring to let go of his hand. Or, even begin to think of that idea.

The two tread down the hall for a few minutes. In all fairness, it was fairly awkward on Wesker's behalf. He never spoke too much, lacking words.

‘‘ Do not rummage around, and you'll stay longer.. ’’

That said, the door—left slightly ajar—was pushed open.

Chris regarded the nod with a big smile of his own, looking up at him when he got up from his seat. The height difference was small, though noticeable, and it made him a bit embarrassed, but he eventually shook his head and grinned again.

As he stared at Wesker, he glanced at the unfinished sandwiches and realized they had spent their entire break "flirting," or whatever he could call it. He suddenly blushed bright red, then giggled uncontrollably and looked away.

"Oh man, we didn't even finish them . . . That's a bummer . . . " he trailed off, mumbling incoherently, before raising his head and blinking, noticing that they were already going and following after his captain, who was leading him to the office. Although his focus was on their intertwined hands, it seemed to be the main cause of his flustered expression. Although he seemed okay with the awkward silence.

When they finally reached the office, Chris wanted to sprint in, but held himself back at the warning of Wesker, his grin turning sheepish as he shifted impatiently.

"Aww, come on! I wouldn't do that, psssh . . . Why would I?" he rambled, shaking his free hand in the air.

He immediately went inside with his captain into the office, still holding his hand tightly as he looked around. He never fully took it in, but the office was organized and clean, yet the pile of papers on the desk reminded him of work, making him sigh.

‘‘ You have your moments with curiosity. ’’

Wesker responded without question, swiftly closing the door behind him. With a sigh, he tread further into the room and found his way to his desk, opening up a drawer with his free hand to dish out a better pen.

‘‘ Your boredom seems to be rather normal in situations involving work. Paperwork, moreso. I don't trust that you won't get fidgety over time. ’’

He flipped open a page of a book and set it neatly aside, seeking out a specific section. Then he wrote down a couple of notes in the corner of the page, signing off his name. Setting it to the side and pulling out yet another slip of paper to work over it.

‘‘ Grab a stool from the left so you mustn't stand all day. ’’

He fell silent again, though he wasn't letting go of Chris' hand at all. He enjoyed holding his hand, and he figured that the other man felt the same way about that…

He followed him inside, now standing in front of the desk as he held onto his captain's hand, watching him do whatever professional stuff he had to do effortlessly. He admired him for that, how he could sit still and not get bored. Of course, this was his captain he was thinking about. He didn't think that man could ever get bored.

He tilted his head as he got called out, raising his eyebrows before sheepishly reaching out with his free hand and scratching his cheek.

"How can it not be boring? It's just writing and stuff!" he defended himself, although it was a weak defense— even he knew that. He eventually got over his embarrassment, though, looking back at his captain and humming.

He stared back at him for a couple of minutes, noticing how focused he was on the paperwork. Still holding his hand, he blinked before looking down at their joined hands. Then, noticing a stool that Wesker mentioned in the corner of the room, he moved to get it but stopped once realizing he still hadn't let go. He squeezed it to remind him, even though he didn't want to let go either.

".. Uh, Captain—i would and all.. But you're still holding my hand!" he gestured at their joined hands, smiling awkwardly, although not letting go yet.

Wesker kept his eyes trained down on the paper, methodically writing down what he had to, signing his signature—setting the paper aside and dishing out a new one. The process was repeated a ton of times, yet he worked fairly efficiently. Almost robotically.

His focus never shifted. That was until Chris mentioned their hands, causing his attention to travel over to that instead.

He'd stare, gathering his thoughts before suddenly letting go. Clearing his throat to block out any embarrassment of his own.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

Afterwards, he'd glance back to the paper. Reading through everything to pick up where he left off.

‘‘ And for your information, I find it quite time-consuming. It may not appeal to your perception of fun, but I am not here to have fun. ’’

Chris immediately felt a wave of disappointment brush over him as Wesker let go, slowly pulling his hand away and already missing the sensation of holding his captain's hand.

He turned to the stool in the corner, stepped over to it, picked it up with one hand, and then, in an instant, was back in front of the Captain's desk, placing the seat down and moving to sit on it. With his hands on the desk, he glanced down at the papers and let out an almost dramatic sigh that sounded like boredom.

"Psssh, time-consuming . . . Boring . . Same thing!" He crossed his arms, placing his chin down on them as he stared at him working, almost like a robot. He let out a tiny giggle at the thought. He wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to be a robot! Although he's way cooler than robots, at least that's what Chris thought.

He reached a hand out, expecting Wesker to hold it again as he stared at him with the biggest puppy-eyed expression that probably existed.

At first, there was no reply.. only the faint scribbling of the pen tip scratching against the paper's surface—rough. Calculated. Repetitive.

Although after a minute passed, he lifted his gaze. And a brow.

Slowly, but surely, his hand crept forwards before resting atop of Chris' hand.

‘‘ A lot is boring to you, if not productive. ’’

His eyes met the paperwork once again, only for sentences upon sentences to be filled up and added onto it. As if there wasn't enough already…

For the most part, he seemed content.

Perhaps, company wasn't so bad afterall.

..Or, he simply found Chris comforting.

He was staring at Wesker, who had been writing for what felt like hours now, even though it had only been a few minutes. He closed his eyes, let out a yawn, then reopened them and looked at Wesker's hand resting on top of his.

He blushed, then gently squeezed his hand, grinning as he watched him with affection.

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" he said playfully, raising an eyebrow as he rhythmically and gently tapped the top of his captain's hand with his free hand, trying to keep himself occupied to avoid being bored out of his mind.

‘‘ I struggle to tell if you are deathly bored already or simply tired. ’’

Wesker spoke, although his gaze was unmoving this time. Tip of the pen mercilessly pressing into the sheet of paper, an unpleasant scratching noise coming from the harsh grazes against it, causing the captain to wince in disgust.

‘‘ It means what it means. I've noticed that you struggle to accommodate with tasks that are not fast-paced or written in a way that's less suspenseful. Something more akin to action. It's an astute observation. ’’

He'd hum a tune to himself, voice dropping an octave lower to do so. He paid no mind to Chris' hand movements here and there. Just let him do his thing. Minus the fact that, every so often, he'd intertwine their fingers properly. Almost unconsciously.

‘‘ You are rather picky when it comes to missions or work. Paperwork is hardly much of a penalty. ’’

#resident evil rp #rp blog #chris redfield #albert wesker #stars wesker #resident evil #chrisker #stars era #stars chris #i adore themwith my whole heart ajajwj #crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

His face would immediately flush red, his grip on his hands tightening instinctively as he looked to the side and smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to say that at all! Why would he do that! He reached with his spare hand to scratch the back of his neck, although it couldn't fix how hard his heart was pounding.

He sighed and slumped on the table again, moving his free hand from his neck to his face to cover it, grumbling into it. He was clearly extremely embarrassed that it had slipped out.

He slowly gazed upward at his captain, still not letting go of his hand anytime soon, as he grinned, trying to play it cool.

" Haha, Sorry, captain! I—uh, messed up with my words. . ." Definitely, he himself knew that was a lie, but he couldn't admit it, could he?

He eventually noticed the way Wesker was kneading at his shoulder like a cat making biscuits. That image made him let out a fond giggle, his nose crinkling as he laughed.

Wesker raised a brow in suspicion, closely hyper-analysing every miniscule reaction from Chris once again.

How he made his movements, when he made them, how fast he made them .. what movements he ended up doing overall.

Digging deeper into his mind, what every tiny thing could possibly mean or link back to.

He found that handy about himself sometimes. However, it was also a feature about himself he despised, as it only led to further issues or miscalculations in judgement.

His mind had circled around for a decent while. If he didn't know any better, he would've kissed the man in front of him then and there… but his pride and shame got the better of him.

‘‘ Messed up. ’’

He'd repeat under his breath with a soft sigh, shaking his head left to right in disapproval.

‘‘ What time do you usually head out to feed this 'stray' of yours? ’’

A quick, easy subject change. He didn't want to acknowledge how awkward the moment had been just moments prior or how he had responded to the situation alone.

Although he unconsciously tilted his head when the other man broke out into a small fit of giggling. Pure confusion crossing his face.

‘‘ …What's so funny? ’’

His fit of giggles eventually stopped, though he still looked at his captain with that affectionate expression. He gazed at his captain's face. Even though he wasn't an observant person himself, he still noticed the little things about his captain, and those little things made his heartbeat feel even louder.

His attention eventually returned to the man's eyes. He had been momentarily distracted and didn't respond to the question at first, blinking his eyes with confusion before eventually realizing that he had been asked something.

" Oh! Uh— I usually go after I get off work, I pass by the park on my way back home anyway!"

He seemed to still be quite flustered from the earlier fumble he had made, but was slightly thankful for the subject change.

His heart wanted to explode out of his chest when Wesker tilted his head and asked that question. He wanted to hold the man and spin him around!

"Nothing! Nothing… It's just, uh, you sorta looked like a cat doing that. It's cute!" he admitted shamelessly, his eyes sparkling with adoration. He thought for a moment before reaching out and gently placing a hand on his captain's cheek. He had no idea what he was doing himself, but he hoped that he didn't mess up just now.

Wesker gave the smallest nod in response, his eyes softening once again for a couple of passing seconds. He couldn't quite help it. His body certainly betrayed him during these moments.

He'd open his mouth like he had something to say, yet no words came out. So he closed it again.

Thankfully, drastic reactions weren't ever very prominent with Wesker. But the faint red on his face was there no matter what he did, said or thought.

‘‘ Repeat? ’’

He heard what he said, loud and clear.

…But maybe some part of him wanted to hear it again.

Much to his dismay, he leaned into Chris' touch. It wasn't something he got to experience often. Though it was a mental battle to accept any sort of affection as it was, he couldn't pass down this moment.

Chris's heart skipped another beat as he glanced at his captain, who seemed to be leaning into his touch. He was nearly convinced he was seeing things, that he might blink and the entire situation would vanish in an instant.

But as a minute passed by, nothing changed, although he noticed the faint hint of a blush on Wesker's face, which made him even giddier inside. He hesitated when asked to repeat what he had said. He averted his gaze and paused, eventually repeating it in what seemed to be an embarrassed tone.

"I said, it's uh . . . cute!" He stammered, lightly tracing his thumb along Wesker's cheek. He definitely didn't recognize this side of his captain, but he wanted to see it more.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

He'd remain quiet for a long while, eyelids fluttering shut for just a couple of seconds. Savouring the moment as it lasted.

His hand repositioned again, this time to lightly settle on the back of Chris' hand. Holding it where it was, against his face.

Truthfully, he'd never felt so uncharacteristically soft before. The need to be so.. gentle?

Never once had he ever thought in his life that he'd be in a situation such as this one.

And he was.

It killed some part of him to know that one man, his words, and his touch could reduce him to this.

What a sight for sore eyes.

He reopened his eyes to look at Chris. Really look at him, this time. Even if it wasn't very easy to tell what he did with his eyes beyond the black tinted shades of his.

The rest of Wesker was blissfully unaware of how he seemed outside of his perspective. Especially in his point man's eyes.

Without another thought, he'd lean closer. Hand travelling to the side of Chris' face instead as he placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Letting that linger for a few more milliseconds longer before he made the slightest slither of distance between them. Still far too close, but enough so that their lips didn't touch. Wesker was barely processing what he'd just done in his own head…

As though gears were turning on repeat but not ever coming to a conclusion.

He froze in place, his eyes widening in the greatest shock he had ever felt, hands lifting in the air aimlessly. His heart felt like it had almost stopped. He never thought that this would happen in a million years, and yet it was happening right now. He stayed still for a millisecond exactly before immediately melting into the kiss, and fluttering his eyelids closed.

As the kiss ended, he slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. He was speechless, and frankly, he didn't want to ruin the moment. He gently bumped his forehead against Wesker's. He stayed still for a couple of seconds more before leaning in again and returning the soft, gentle kiss.

His mind was running through so many thoughts that it was almost incoherent, but they all landed on one thing, the man in front of him, whom he never wanted to be apart from ever. He pulled away from the kiss ever so slightly and reached out, wanting to remove his captain's glasses to see those beautiful blue eyes, but waiting for a confirmation from him, searching his face.

The smallest smile curled onto his lips the second that Chris reciprocated. Right then and there, nothing else mattered. Nothing else but that man.

The way he looked at him, how carefully he handled him for a reason that even Wesker couldn't name.

There was the slightest hitch in his breathing pattern at first. However, it didn't seem like it took long for him to adjust.

He'd spent so long, far too long, wanting this moment himself. Craving it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't something he was able to come to terms with for a long, long time, and he wasn't so sure how far this moment would go or the time it would last.

Wesker didn't speak. If he did, he knew he'd sound utterly ridiculous doing so.

That red on his face darkened, the faint shade creeping up his neck and in on his face. He'd spent a decent while studying Chris' face. Eyes shifting towards his hand for a second before settling back on the man's face.

He'd nod.

Simple, silent confirmation.

Chris would instantly beam upon receiving confirmation, making contact with the sunglasses and slowly pulling them off to show Wesker's blue eyes. He paused, his hand with the sunglasses suspended in the air. He never expected his captain to have such beautiful eyes.

He was mesmerized, his blush deepening as he placed the glasses on the table, instead cupping his captain's face and gently rubbing his thumb close to the corner of his eye, taking in his face fully for a long moment.

"Whoa, they're beautiful…" he eventually spoke, his voice, although hushed, not wanting the moment to end too soon.

Wesker was fairly hesitant, but he adjusted in no time.

His eyes met Chris' for a lasting minute, gaze softening all over again. The way in which Chris admired him like he was something precious really did make him feel painfully weak, in a good way?

It was hard to explain.

He'd never been fond of being in such a position, but this man made it so unbelievably manageable.

Likeable, dare I say.

He'd glance down to the right, parting his lips to speak—but to no avail. His eyes trailed back up to Chris the moment he heard that compliment.

Him?

His eyes?

Beautiful?

‘‘ Chris… ’’

Wesker muttered, eyes half lidded. Briefly closing whenever Chris would brush his thumb to the corner of his eye so gently.

‘‘ I do not see the appeal that you do .. ’’

It was a wonderful feeling. Knowing that someone else could appreciate him and the parts of him he may hold insecurities about… even if he'd never voice that out loud.

It was so wonderful that it stung some part of him deep inside. It was almost addictive.

He'd never felt so.. cherished.

Chris still gazed at him with a soft, tender expression, his eyes fixed only on Wesker, ignoring everything else but the man in front of him.

He immediately frowned when he heard his captain's words. How could his captain dismiss how beautiful his eyes looked? He could have stared at them for hours if given the chance. His heart melted at the sight of Wesker's half-lidded eyes and how he closed them briefly as well. His thumb gently brushed his face.

"What do you mean? It's the truth!" he huffed, clearly pouting, even as he continued to brush his thumb against the corner of Wesker's eyes. How could he show him that his eyes were the most beautiful thing on earth?

He paused for a moment, then a flicker of an idea sparked in his mind. He fluttered his eyes before shifting his hands away slightly, back to the side of his captain's face, then leaned in and landed soft, gentle kisses on his eyelid. He wasn't even thinking anymore— this man was preoccupying his entire mind!

‘‘ The truth.. ’’

He whispered under his own breath, scoffing in disbelief. Wesker spent his time searching Chris' face for any hint of a sign that he'd be lying. That he was saying all this just because.

However, the light kisses to his eyelids shut that train of thoughts down FAST. He couldn't articulate a proper response—he could barely process what was going on, let alone what he should say or do. This was new to him. Emotional intimacy or anything of that sort wasn't something that he knew very well.

But that didn't matter, did it?

Chris didn't mind. So he didn't find himself questioning it further. Simply.. accepted.

‘‘ Mm.. you are ridiculous. ’’

Betraying his own words, his tone lacked any real bite to it. Rather, it was only a way to fill the silence. Although that wasn't necessarily needed, his own inability to figure out a reaction was gnawing away at him inside and out.

Wesker exhaled a soft sigh, tilting his head down south a tiny bit. Not a major movement, only a small shift. Showing his eyes alone was embarrassing to him.

One of his hands slid back up to cup Chris' own, fingers gently grazing across the back of his hand.

Chris had eventually stopped the soft kisses on the other man's eyelids, his eyes fluttering open while he gazed at the man still so close by him. He hummed softly as his hand was captured by his captain's. He let it stay there for a couple of seconds before shifting his hand to intertwine their hands.

He moved their joined hands closer to himself, planting a kiss on the middle of Wesker's hand and then, grinning like an idiot, he knew his captain struggled with these types of things, so if he had to be the one leading it, so be it, he didn't mind at all! As long as he could give all his love to him.

"I'm not ridiculous! I won't be silenced, I'll speak my truuuthh! " He muttered the last part in a teasing singy-songy voice, his other free hand still gently caressing the side of his captain's face.

Wesker's eyes slowllllyyy lifted to Chris' eyes for what felt like the twentieth time now, after studying his hand for an eternity.

He did nothing but silently watch, returning a decently melancholic gaze.

He couldn't help but wonder about the future ahead of them. How would he process this moment afterwards? What would he say? Do? Everything felt too surreal.

‘‘ I.. believe break has gone overtime. ’’

He'd clear his throat, eyelids fluttering shut as he pondered.

Yet despite the dismissal, it didn't seem like he wanted the moment to end, himself. He only seemed to disappoint himself by making the time known.

He wasn't sure when he'd experience this again.

…Would Chris look at him the same once this time was over?

Was all he thought in his mind, unconsciously leaning back into the man's hand like it was some sort of life support for him.

His actions realllyyy betrayed how much he tried to deny or make sense of this scenario in his head…

He met his gaze with his own soft gaze, peering into those melancholic eyes. He wasn't thinking about anything else but this moment. He didn't say anything more as they both stared at each other.

Although he snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the man speak, his eyebrows raised, he felt disappointed that their time together was ending, turning to look at the clock in the middle of the cafeteria's wall. Then he turned back to Wesker and squeezed his hand.

"Oh man, really? I don't want this to end . . ." he muttered under his breath, his eyes conveying a pleading stare, almost like a puppy's eyes.

He noticed the way his captain had leaned into his hand, batting his eyes before very gently tilting his head and planting another kiss on his forehead. He couldn't help himself! How could a person be this adorable, especially his captain? He just wanted to remove all his worries and fears that he might not show...

Wesker frowned slightly at Chris' pleading stare, taking his time to study his eyes with his own half-lidded ones.

Eventually, that was cut short yet again when the kiss was placed against his forehead, the heat in his face worsening.

With a sigh, he shook his head side to side.

‘‘ I must work, as should you… ’’

A beat of silence passed.

Then, one eye reopened, revealing that tinted blue iris once more.

‘‘ Or, you come to my office. ’’

He'd fall silent like before, letting the offer hang in the air. It wasn't often he invited people to his space… let alone after a scene such as this one.

But truth be told, he wanted it to keep going.

Chris let out a disappointed huff at the reminder of how he had to work. Oh man, can't they stay in this moment forever? He groaned, despite his pouting, he never removed his hand from his captain's face, enjoying the contact between them.

" Psssh, stupid dumb boring woorrrkk…." he mumbled, closing his eyes and sighing dramatically.

Although the disappointment didn't last long, as he heard the offer, he immediately stood up eagerly, and opened his eyes that were now shimmering, making contact with his captain's own beautiful eyes. He definitely wasn't saying no to this, not in a million years!

" Really? Really?? You'd allow me??" he questioned enthusiastically, now beaming with joy.

‘‘ Yes, you… ’’

Wesker hummed, a quiet chuckle slipping from his throat.

‘‘ As long as you do not disrupt me, fully, ’’

Vaguely implying that he would let him, to a degree. As long as he could get something done work wise. He truly did favour Chris and his affection more than he believed, or let on.

Despite his attempt at staying unaffected, which clearly didn't work—he'd bring Chris' hand around front to kiss each of his knuckles and then settle it back upon his own cheek for a few minutes.

Dragging out the lasting moment before bringing their hands back down infront of them both.

‘‘ Well? ’’

An expectant question to receive an answer. So impatient, for someone who claims not to care…!!

His eyes seemed to sparkle even more, if that was possible, although he immediately felt flustered when Wesker kissed his knuckles. He felt like he had fallen even deeper into a never-ending hole, which he frankly didn't want to escape from.

He let out a nervous laugh, turning his gaze aside as he tried to compose himself. Then he shifted his eyes back to him, eventually nodding, and turned back to squeeze his hand gently while looking into his eyes with admiration, still captivated after what felt like quite a while.

"Aha— no promises, Captain!" he responded, brushing his thumb against Wesker's hand. He wasn't planning to let go anytime soon!

He stayed silent for a moment, simply staring at the man before blinking and tilting his head at the expectant, impatient question. He grinned widely as he raised their joined hands slightly.

"Yes! Yes, yes! Yeah, I'd like that very much! Thought I made it clear, Ahha—"

Wesker kept his gaze ahead, entirely focusing on Chris. Ironic, for somebody who claimed that little to nobody was worth his time or attention.

Yet, here he was, offering his fullest to this man.

He mentally noted his reactions to his gestures.. that he was for sure replicating by himself.

That was a good response, yes? Being nervous. Well.. when it was anyone BUT himself experiencing that sort of feeling.

‘‘ I prefer verbal confirmation than my own assumptions. ’’

Wesker slid one hand away to sweep up his sunglasses in between his fingers, placing them back upon his face. He'd probably take them off again once they were in a more appropriate location, such as his office, but he didn't want anyone else to note his appearance without them. That, and light sensitivity…

‘‘ Very well then.. come along. ’’

Chris still seemed a bit flustered but stared back at his captain, who had the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen in his entire life.

He blinked as he watched Wesker place his sunglasses back on. Part of him felt disappointed that he couldn't stare into those soft eyes at this moment anymore. He moved his free hand back and tapped it on the table, out of habit, turning his gaze down at their hands, then back at Wesker, his eyes gleaming and full of joy.

"Well, if you say so!" he hummed before immediately standing up upon hearing the confirmation from his captain. He still held one of his hands, waiting impatiently for the other man to stand up—almost ready to rush to the office before him if he could.

"Come on, come on! Let's go!" He exclaimed as he gently tugged on his hand, then moved his other hand to grasp Wesker's, which he was holding still with his other hand.

Wesker watched Chris stand in complete silence for a moment, doing nothing but staring. He was oddly captivated by this man and his reactions…

He snapped out of it at the impatient tug of his hand, followed with energetic exclaims. And with that, he moved to his feet. Rewarding the other with a nod.

‘‘ I'm coming, I'm coming… quiet down a little. ’’

A quiet, quick sigh came after.

‘‘ Leave the packaging here. Someone will dispose of it. ’’

Subsequently, he'd swerve out from his seat and bring Chris with him, never daring to let go of his hand. Or, even begin to think of that idea.

The two tread down the hall for a few minutes. In all fairness, it was fairly awkward on Wesker's behalf. He never spoke too much, lacking words.

‘‘ Do not rummage around, and you'll stay longer.. ’’

That said, the door—left slightly ajar—was pushed open.

Chris regarded the nod with a big smile of his own, looking up at him when he got up from his seat. The height difference was small, though noticeable, and it made him a bit embarrassed, but he eventually shook his head and grinned again.

As he stared at Wesker, he glanced at the unfinished sandwiches and realized they had spent their entire break "flirting," or whatever he could call it. He suddenly blushed bright red, then giggled uncontrollably and looked away.

"Oh man, we didn't even finish them . . . That's a bummer . . . " he trailed off, mumbling incoherently, before raising his head and blinking, noticing that they were already going and following after his captain, who was leading him to the office. Although his focus was on their intertwined hands, it seemed to be the main cause of his flustered expression. Although he seemed okay with the awkward silence.

When they finally reached the office, Chris wanted to sprint in, but held himself back at the warning of Wesker, his grin turning sheepish as he shifted impatiently.

"Aww, come on! I wouldn't do that, psssh . . . Why would I?" he rambled, shaking his free hand in the air.

He immediately went inside with his captain into the office, still holding his hand tightly as he looked around. He never fully took it in, but the office was organized and clean, yet the pile of papers on the desk reminded him of work, making him sigh.

‘‘ You have your moments with curiosity. ’’

Wesker responded without question, swiftly closing the door behind him. With a sigh, he tread further into the room and found his way to his desk, opening up a drawer with his free hand to dish out a better pen.

‘‘ Your boredom seems to be rather normal in situations involving work. Paperwork, moreso. I don't trust that you won't get fidgety over time. ’’

He flipped open a page of a book and set it neatly aside, seeking out a specific section. Then he wrote down a couple of notes in the corner of the page, signing off his name. Setting it to the side and pulling out yet another slip of paper to work over it.

‘‘ Grab a stool from the left so you mustn't stand all day. ’’

He fell silent again, though he wasn't letting go of Chris' hand at all. He enjoyed holding his hand, and he figured that the other man felt the same way about that…

He followed him inside, now standing in front of the desk as he held onto his captain's hand, watching him do whatever professional stuff he had to do effortlessly. He admired him for that, how he could sit still and not get bored. Of course, this was his captain he was thinking about. He didn't think that man could ever get bored.

He tilted his head as he got called out, raising his eyebrows before sheepishly reaching out with his free hand and scratching his cheek.

"How can it not be boring? It's just writing and stuff!" he defended himself, although it was a weak defense— even he knew that. He eventually got over his embarrassment, though, looking back at his captain and humming.

He stared back at him for a couple of minutes, noticing how focused he was on the paperwork. Still holding his hand, he blinked before looking down at their joined hands. Then, noticing a stool that Wesker mentioned in the corner of the room, he moved to get it but stopped once realizing he still hadn't let go. He squeezed it to remind him, even though he didn't want to let go either.

".. Uh, Captain—i would and all.. But you're still holding my hand!" he gestured at their joined hands, smiling awkwardly, although not letting go yet.

Wesker kept his eyes trained down on the paper, methodically writing down what he had to, signing his signature—setting the paper aside and dishing out a new one. The process was repeated a ton of times, yet he worked fairly efficiently. Almost robotically.

His focus never shifted. That was until Chris mentioned their hands, causing his attention to travel over to that instead.

He'd stare, gathering his thoughts before suddenly letting go. Clearing his throat to block out any embarrassment of his own.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

Afterwards, he'd glance back to the paper. Reading through everything to pick up where he left off.

‘‘ And for your information, I find it quite time-consuming. It may not appeal to your perception of fun, but I am not here to have fun. ’’

Chris immediately felt a wave of disappointment brush over him as Wesker let go, slowly pulling his hand away and already missing the sensation of holding his captain's hand.

He turned to the stool in the corner, stepped over to it, picked it up with one hand, and then, in an instant, was back in front of the Captain's desk, placing the seat down and moving to sit on it. With his hands on the desk, he glanced down at the papers and let out an almost dramatic sigh that sounded like boredom.

"Psssh, time-consuming . . . Boring . . Same thing!" He crossed his arms, placing his chin down on them as he stared at him working, almost like a robot. He let out a tiny giggle at the thought. He wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to be a robot! Although he's way cooler than robots, at least that's what Chris thought.

He reached a hand out, expecting Wesker to hold it again as he stared at him with the biggest puppy-eyed expression that probably existed.

At first, there was no reply.. only the faint scribbling of the pen tip scratching against the paper's surface—rough. Calculated. Repetitive.

Although after a minute passed, he lifted his gaze. And a brow.

Slowly, but surely, his hand crept forwards before resting atop of Chris' hand.

‘‘ A lot is boring to you, if not productive. ’’

His eyes met the paperwork once again, only for sentences upon sentences to be filled up and added onto it. As if there wasn't enough already…

For the most part, he seemed content.

Perhaps, company wasn't so bad afterall.

..Or, he simply found Chris comforting.

#resident evil rp #rp blog #chris redfield #albert wesker #resident evil #chrisker #stars era #stars wesker #stars chris #he held his hand back. smiles #THEY MAKE ME ILL UGH #crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

His face would immediately flush red, his grip on his hands tightening instinctively as he looked to the side and smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to say that at all! Why would he do that! He reached with his spare hand to scratch the back of his neck, although it couldn't fix how hard his heart was pounding.

He sighed and slumped on the table again, moving his free hand from his neck to his face to cover it, grumbling into it. He was clearly extremely embarrassed that it had slipped out.

He slowly gazed upward at his captain, still not letting go of his hand anytime soon, as he grinned, trying to play it cool.

" Haha, Sorry, captain! I—uh, messed up with my words. . ." Definitely, he himself knew that was a lie, but he couldn't admit it, could he?

He eventually noticed the way Wesker was kneading at his shoulder like a cat making biscuits. That image made him let out a fond giggle, his nose crinkling as he laughed.

Wesker raised a brow in suspicion, closely hyper-analysing every miniscule reaction from Chris once again.

How he made his movements, when he made them, how fast he made them .. what movements he ended up doing overall.

Digging deeper into his mind, what every tiny thing could possibly mean or link back to.

He found that handy about himself sometimes. However, it was also a feature about himself he despised, as it only led to further issues or miscalculations in judgement.

His mind had circled around for a decent while. If he didn't know any better, he would've kissed the man in front of him then and there… but his pride and shame got the better of him.

‘‘ Messed up. ’’

He'd repeat under his breath with a soft sigh, shaking his head left to right in disapproval.

‘‘ What time do you usually head out to feed this 'stray' of yours? ’’

A quick, easy subject change. He didn't want to acknowledge how awkward the moment had been just moments prior or how he had responded to the situation alone.

Although he unconsciously tilted his head when the other man broke out into a small fit of giggling. Pure confusion crossing his face.

‘‘ …What's so funny? ’’

His fit of giggles eventually stopped, though he still looked at his captain with that affectionate expression. He gazed at his captain's face. Even though he wasn't an observant person himself, he still noticed the little things about his captain, and those little things made his heartbeat feel even louder.

His attention eventually returned to the man's eyes. He had been momentarily distracted and didn't respond to the question at first, blinking his eyes with confusion before eventually realizing that he had been asked something.

" Oh! Uh— I usually go after I get off work, I pass by the park on my way back home anyway!"

He seemed to still be quite flustered from the earlier fumble he had made, but was slightly thankful for the subject change.

His heart wanted to explode out of his chest when Wesker tilted his head and asked that question. He wanted to hold the man and spin him around!

"Nothing! Nothing… It's just, uh, you sorta looked like a cat doing that. It's cute!" he admitted shamelessly, his eyes sparkling with adoration. He thought for a moment before reaching out and gently placing a hand on his captain's cheek. He had no idea what he was doing himself, but he hoped that he didn't mess up just now.

Wesker gave the smallest nod in response, his eyes softening once again for a couple of passing seconds. He couldn't quite help it. His body certainly betrayed him during these moments.

He'd open his mouth like he had something to say, yet no words came out. So he closed it again.

Thankfully, drastic reactions weren't ever very prominent with Wesker. But the faint red on his face was there no matter what he did, said or thought.

‘‘ Repeat? ’’

He heard what he said, loud and clear.

…But maybe some part of him wanted to hear it again.

Much to his dismay, he leaned into Chris' touch. It wasn't something he got to experience often. Though it was a mental battle to accept any sort of affection as it was, he couldn't pass down this moment.

Chris's heart skipped another beat as he glanced at his captain, who seemed to be leaning into his touch. He was nearly convinced he was seeing things, that he might blink and the entire situation would vanish in an instant.

But as a minute passed by, nothing changed, although he noticed the faint hint of a blush on Wesker's face, which made him even giddier inside. He hesitated when asked to repeat what he had said. He averted his gaze and paused, eventually repeating it in what seemed to be an embarrassed tone.

"I said, it's uh . . . cute!" He stammered, lightly tracing his thumb along Wesker's cheek. He definitely didn't recognize this side of his captain, but he wanted to see it more.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

He'd remain quiet for a long while, eyelids fluttering shut for just a couple of seconds. Savouring the moment as it lasted.

His hand repositioned again, this time to lightly settle on the back of Chris' hand. Holding it where it was, against his face.

Truthfully, he'd never felt so uncharacteristically soft before. The need to be so.. gentle?

Never once had he ever thought in his life that he'd be in a situation such as this one.

And he was.

It killed some part of him to know that one man, his words, and his touch could reduce him to this.

What a sight for sore eyes.

He reopened his eyes to look at Chris. Really look at him, this time. Even if it wasn't very easy to tell what he did with his eyes beyond the black tinted shades of his.

The rest of Wesker was blissfully unaware of how he seemed outside of his perspective. Especially in his point man's eyes.

Without another thought, he'd lean closer. Hand travelling to the side of Chris' face instead as he placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Letting that linger for a few more milliseconds longer before he made the slightest slither of distance between them. Still far too close, but enough so that their lips didn't touch. Wesker was barely processing what he'd just done in his own head…

As though gears were turning on repeat but not ever coming to a conclusion.

He froze in place, his eyes widening in the greatest shock he had ever felt, hands lifting in the air aimlessly. His heart felt like it had almost stopped. He never thought that this would happen in a million years, and yet it was happening right now. He stayed still for a millisecond exactly before immediately melting into the kiss, and fluttering his eyelids closed.

As the kiss ended, he slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. He was speechless, and frankly, he didn't want to ruin the moment. He gently bumped his forehead against Wesker's. He stayed still for a couple of seconds more before leaning in again and returning the soft, gentle kiss.

His mind was running through so many thoughts that it was almost incoherent, but they all landed on one thing, the man in front of him, whom he never wanted to be apart from ever. He pulled away from the kiss ever so slightly and reached out, wanting to remove his captain's glasses to see those beautiful blue eyes, but waiting for a confirmation from him, searching his face.

The smallest smile curled onto his lips the second that Chris reciprocated. Right then and there, nothing else mattered. Nothing else but that man.

The way he looked at him, how carefully he handled him for a reason that even Wesker couldn't name.

There was the slightest hitch in his breathing pattern at first. However, it didn't seem like it took long for him to adjust.

He'd spent so long, far too long, wanting this moment himself. Craving it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't something he was able to come to terms with for a long, long time, and he wasn't so sure how far this moment would go or the time it would last.

Wesker didn't speak. If he did, he knew he'd sound utterly ridiculous doing so.

That red on his face darkened, the faint shade creeping up his neck and in on his face. He'd spent a decent while studying Chris' face. Eyes shifting towards his hand for a second before settling back on the man's face.

He'd nod.

Simple, silent confirmation.

Chris would instantly beam upon receiving confirmation, making contact with the sunglasses and slowly pulling them off to show Wesker's blue eyes. He paused, his hand with the sunglasses suspended in the air. He never expected his captain to have such beautiful eyes.

He was mesmerized, his blush deepening as he placed the glasses on the table, instead cupping his captain's face and gently rubbing his thumb close to the corner of his eye, taking in his face fully for a long moment.

"Whoa, they're beautiful…" he eventually spoke, his voice, although hushed, not wanting the moment to end too soon.

Wesker was fairly hesitant, but he adjusted in no time.

His eyes met Chris' for a lasting minute, gaze softening all over again. The way in which Chris admired him like he was something precious really did make him feel painfully weak, in a good way?

It was hard to explain.

He'd never been fond of being in such a position, but this man made it so unbelievably manageable.

Likeable, dare I say.

He'd glance down to the right, parting his lips to speak—but to no avail. His eyes trailed back up to Chris the moment he heard that compliment.

Him?

His eyes?

Beautiful?

‘‘ Chris… ’’

Wesker muttered, eyes half lidded. Briefly closing whenever Chris would brush his thumb to the corner of his eye so gently.

‘‘ I do not see the appeal that you do .. ’’

It was a wonderful feeling. Knowing that someone else could appreciate him and the parts of him he may hold insecurities about… even if he'd never voice that out loud.

It was so wonderful that it stung some part of him deep inside. It was almost addictive.

He'd never felt so.. cherished.

Chris still gazed at him with a soft, tender expression, his eyes fixed only on Wesker, ignoring everything else but the man in front of him.

He immediately frowned when he heard his captain's words. How could his captain dismiss how beautiful his eyes looked? He could have stared at them for hours if given the chance. His heart melted at the sight of Wesker's half-lidded eyes and how he closed them briefly as well. His thumb gently brushed his face.

"What do you mean? It's the truth!" he huffed, clearly pouting, even as he continued to brush his thumb against the corner of Wesker's eyes. How could he show him that his eyes were the most beautiful thing on earth?

He paused for a moment, then a flicker of an idea sparked in his mind. He fluttered his eyes before shifting his hands away slightly, back to the side of his captain's face, then leaned in and landed soft, gentle kisses on his eyelid. He wasn't even thinking anymore— this man was preoccupying his entire mind!

‘‘ The truth.. ’’

He whispered under his own breath, scoffing in disbelief. Wesker spent his time searching Chris' face for any hint of a sign that he'd be lying. That he was saying all this just because.

However, the light kisses to his eyelids shut that train of thoughts down FAST. He couldn't articulate a proper response—he could barely process what was going on, let alone what he should say or do. This was new to him. Emotional intimacy or anything of that sort wasn't something that he knew very well.

But that didn't matter, did it?

Chris didn't mind. So he didn't find himself questioning it further. Simply.. accepted.

‘‘ Mm.. you are ridiculous. ’’

Betraying his own words, his tone lacked any real bite to it. Rather, it was only a way to fill the silence. Although that wasn't necessarily needed, his own inability to figure out a reaction was gnawing away at him inside and out.

Wesker exhaled a soft sigh, tilting his head down south a tiny bit. Not a major movement, only a small shift. Showing his eyes alone was embarrassing to him.

One of his hands slid back up to cup Chris' own, fingers gently grazing across the back of his hand.

Chris had eventually stopped the soft kisses on the other man's eyelids, his eyes fluttering open while he gazed at the man still so close by him. He hummed softly as his hand was captured by his captain's. He let it stay there for a couple of seconds before shifting his hand to intertwine their hands.

He moved their joined hands closer to himself, planting a kiss on the middle of Wesker's hand and then, grinning like an idiot, he knew his captain struggled with these types of things, so if he had to be the one leading it, so be it, he didn't mind at all! As long as he could give all his love to him.

"I'm not ridiculous! I won't be silenced, I'll speak my truuuthh! " He muttered the last part in a teasing singy-songy voice, his other free hand still gently caressing the side of his captain's face.

Wesker's eyes slowllllyyy lifted to Chris' eyes for what felt like the twentieth time now, after studying his hand for an eternity.

He did nothing but silently watch, returning a decently melancholic gaze.

He couldn't help but wonder about the future ahead of them. How would he process this moment afterwards? What would he say? Do? Everything felt too surreal.

‘‘ I.. believe break has gone overtime. ’’

He'd clear his throat, eyelids fluttering shut as he pondered.

Yet despite the dismissal, it didn't seem like he wanted the moment to end, himself. He only seemed to disappoint himself by making the time known.

He wasn't sure when he'd experience this again.

…Would Chris look at him the same once this time was over?

Was all he thought in his mind, unconsciously leaning back into the man's hand like it was some sort of life support for him.

His actions realllyyy betrayed how much he tried to deny or make sense of this scenario in his head…

He met his gaze with his own soft gaze, peering into those melancholic eyes. He wasn't thinking about anything else but this moment. He didn't say anything more as they both stared at each other.

Although he snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the man speak, his eyebrows raised, he felt disappointed that their time together was ending, turning to look at the clock in the middle of the cafeteria's wall. Then he turned back to Wesker and squeezed his hand.

"Oh man, really? I don't want this to end . . ." he muttered under his breath, his eyes conveying a pleading stare, almost like a puppy's eyes.

He noticed the way his captain had leaned into his hand, batting his eyes before very gently tilting his head and planting another kiss on his forehead. He couldn't help himself! How could a person be this adorable, especially his captain? He just wanted to remove all his worries and fears that he might not show...

Wesker frowned slightly at Chris' pleading stare, taking his time to study his eyes with his own half-lidded ones.

Eventually, that was cut short yet again when the kiss was placed against his forehead, the heat in his face worsening.

With a sigh, he shook his head side to side.

‘‘ I must work, as should you… ’’

A beat of silence passed.

Then, one eye reopened, revealing that tinted blue iris once more.

‘‘ Or, you come to my office. ’’

He'd fall silent like before, letting the offer hang in the air. It wasn't often he invited people to his space… let alone after a scene such as this one.

But truth be told, he wanted it to keep going.

Chris let out a disappointed huff at the reminder of how he had to work. Oh man, can't they stay in this moment forever? He groaned, despite his pouting, he never removed his hand from his captain's face, enjoying the contact between them.

" Psssh, stupid dumb boring woorrrkk…." he mumbled, closing his eyes and sighing dramatically.

Although the disappointment didn't last long, as he heard the offer, he immediately stood up eagerly, and opened his eyes that were now shimmering, making contact with his captain's own beautiful eyes. He definitely wasn't saying no to this, not in a million years!

" Really? Really?? You'd allow me??" he questioned enthusiastically, now beaming with joy.

‘‘ Yes, you… ’’

Wesker hummed, a quiet chuckle slipping from his throat.

‘‘ As long as you do not disrupt me, fully, ’’

Vaguely implying that he would let him, to a degree. As long as he could get something done work wise. He truly did favour Chris and his affection more than he believed, or let on.

Despite his attempt at staying unaffected, which clearly didn't work—he'd bring Chris' hand around front to kiss each of his knuckles and then settle it back upon his own cheek for a few minutes.

Dragging out the lasting moment before bringing their hands back down infront of them both.

‘‘ Well? ’’

An expectant question to receive an answer. So impatient, for someone who claims not to care…!!

His eyes seemed to sparkle even more, if that was possible, although he immediately felt flustered when Wesker kissed his knuckles. He felt like he had fallen even deeper into a never-ending hole, which he frankly didn't want to escape from.

He let out a nervous laugh, turning his gaze aside as he tried to compose himself. Then he shifted his eyes back to him, eventually nodding, and turned back to squeeze his hand gently while looking into his eyes with admiration, still captivated after what felt like quite a while.

"Aha— no promises, Captain!" he responded, brushing his thumb against Wesker's hand. He wasn't planning to let go anytime soon!

He stayed silent for a moment, simply staring at the man before blinking and tilting his head at the expectant, impatient question. He grinned widely as he raised their joined hands slightly.

"Yes! Yes, yes! Yeah, I'd like that very much! Thought I made it clear, Ahha—"

Wesker kept his gaze ahead, entirely focusing on Chris. Ironic, for somebody who claimed that little to nobody was worth his time or attention.

Yet, here he was, offering his fullest to this man.

He mentally noted his reactions to his gestures.. that he was for sure replicating by himself.

That was a good response, yes? Being nervous. Well.. when it was anyone BUT himself experiencing that sort of feeling.

‘‘ I prefer verbal confirmation than my own assumptions. ’’

Wesker slid one hand away to sweep up his sunglasses in between his fingers, placing them back upon his face. He'd probably take them off again once they were in a more appropriate location, such as his office, but he didn't want anyone else to note his appearance without them. That, and light sensitivity…

‘‘ Very well then.. come along. ’’

Chris still seemed a bit flustered but stared back at his captain, who had the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen in his entire life.

He blinked as he watched Wesker place his sunglasses back on. Part of him felt disappointed that he couldn't stare into those soft eyes at this moment anymore. He moved his free hand back and tapped it on the table, out of habit, turning his gaze down at their hands, then back at Wesker, his eyes gleaming and full of joy.

"Well, if you say so!" he hummed before immediately standing up upon hearing the confirmation from his captain. He still held one of his hands, waiting impatiently for the other man to stand up—almost ready to rush to the office before him if he could.

"Come on, come on! Let's go!" He exclaimed as he gently tugged on his hand, then moved his other hand to grasp Wesker's, which he was holding still with his other hand.

Wesker watched Chris stand in complete silence for a moment, doing nothing but staring. He was oddly captivated by this man and his reactions…

He snapped out of it at the impatient tug of his hand, followed with energetic exclaims. And with that, he moved to his feet. Rewarding the other with a nod.

‘‘ I'm coming, I'm coming… quiet down a little. ’’

A quiet, quick sigh came after.

‘‘ Leave the packaging here. Someone will dispose of it. ’’

Subsequently, he'd swerve out from his seat and bring Chris with him, never daring to let go of his hand. Or, even begin to think of that idea.

The two tread down the hall for a few minutes. In all fairness, it was fairly awkward on Wesker's behalf. He never spoke too much, lacking words.

‘‘ Do not rummage around, and you'll stay longer.. ’’

That said, the door—left slightly ajar—was pushed open.

Chris regarded the nod with a big smile of his own, looking up at him when he got up from his seat. The height difference was small, though noticeable, and it made him a bit embarrassed, but he eventually shook his head and grinned again.

As he stared at Wesker, he glanced at the unfinished sandwiches and realized they had spent their entire break "flirting," or whatever he could call it. He suddenly blushed bright red, then giggled uncontrollably and looked away.

"Oh man, we didn't even finish them . . . That's a bummer . . . " he trailed off, mumbling incoherently, before raising his head and blinking, noticing that they were already going and following after his captain, who was leading him to the office. Although his focus was on their intertwined hands, it seemed to be the main cause of his flustered expression. Although he seemed okay with the awkward silence.

When they finally reached the office, Chris wanted to sprint in, but held himself back at the warning of Wesker, his grin turning sheepish as he shifted impatiently.

"Aww, come on! I wouldn't do that, psssh . . . Why would I?" he rambled, shaking his free hand in the air.

He immediately went inside with his captain into the office, still holding his hand tightly as he looked around. He never fully took it in, but the office was organized and clean, yet the pile of papers on the desk reminded him of work, making him sigh.

‘‘ You have your moments with curiosity. ’’

Wesker responded without question, swiftly closing the door behind him. With a sigh, he tread further into the room and found his way to his desk, opening up a drawer with his free hand to dish out a better pen.

‘‘ Your boredom seems to be rather normal in situations involving work. Paperwork, moreso. I don't trust that you won't get fidgety over time. ’’

He flipped open a page of a book and set it neatly aside, seeking out a specific section. Then he wrote down a couple of notes in the corner of the page, signing off his name. Setting it to the side and pulling out yet another slip of paper to work over it.

‘‘ Grab a stool from the left so you mustn't stand all day. ’’

He fell silent again, though he wasn't letting go of Chris' hand at all. He enjoyed holding his hand, and he figured that the other man felt the same way about that…

He followed him inside, now standing in front of the desk as he held onto his captain's hand, watching him do whatever professional stuff he had to do effortlessly. He admired him for that, how he could sit still and not get bored. Of course, this was his captain he was thinking about. He didn't think that man could ever get bored.

He tilted his head as he got called out, raising his eyebrows before sheepishly reaching out with his free hand and scratching his cheek.

"How can it not be boring? It's just writing and stuff!" he defended himself, although it was a weak defense— even he knew that. He eventually got over his embarrassment, though, looking back at his captain and humming.

He stared back at him for a couple of minutes, noticing how focused he was on the paperwork. Still holding his hand, he blinked before looking down at their joined hands. Then, noticing a stool that Wesker mentioned in the corner of the room, he moved to get it but stopped once realizing he still hadn't let go. He squeezed it to remind him, even though he didn't want to let go either.

".. Uh, Captain—i would and all.. But you're still holding my hand!" he gestured at their joined hands, smiling awkwardly, although not letting go yet.

Wesker kept his eyes trained down on the paper, methodically writing down what he had to, signing his signature—setting the paper aside and dishing out a new one. The process was repeated a ton of times, yet he worked fairly efficiently. Almost robotically.

His focus never shifted. That was until Chris mentioned their hands, causing his attention to travel over to that instead.

He'd stare, gathering his thoughts before suddenly letting go. Clearing his throat to block out any embarrassment of his own.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

Afterwards, he'd glance back to the paper. Reading through everything to pick up where he left off.

‘‘ And for your information, I find it quite time-consuming. It may not appeal to your perception of fun, but I am not here to have fun. ’’

#resident evil rp #rp blog #chris redfield #albert wesker #resident evil #chrisker #stars era #stars wesker #stars chris #wesker dont be greedy #HIS GREED SICKENS ME #he's nit going anywherhe bro otsokay #HE WONT DIE...............#guiuulp #crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

His face would immediately flush red, his grip on his hands tightening instinctively as he looked to the side and smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to say that at all! Why would he do that! He reached with his spare hand to scratch the back of his neck, although it couldn't fix how hard his heart was pounding.

He sighed and slumped on the table again, moving his free hand from his neck to his face to cover it, grumbling into it. He was clearly extremely embarrassed that it had slipped out.

He slowly gazed upward at his captain, still not letting go of his hand anytime soon, as he grinned, trying to play it cool.

" Haha, Sorry, captain! I—uh, messed up with my words. . ." Definitely, he himself knew that was a lie, but he couldn't admit it, could he?

He eventually noticed the way Wesker was kneading at his shoulder like a cat making biscuits. That image made him let out a fond giggle, his nose crinkling as he laughed.

Wesker raised a brow in suspicion, closely hyper-analysing every miniscule reaction from Chris once again.

How he made his movements, when he made them, how fast he made them .. what movements he ended up doing overall.

Digging deeper into his mind, what every tiny thing could possibly mean or link back to.

He found that handy about himself sometimes. However, it was also a feature about himself he despised, as it only led to further issues or miscalculations in judgement.

His mind had circled around for a decent while. If he didn't know any better, he would've kissed the man in front of him then and there… but his pride and shame got the better of him.

‘‘ Messed up. ’’

He'd repeat under his breath with a soft sigh, shaking his head left to right in disapproval.

‘‘ What time do you usually head out to feed this 'stray' of yours? ’’

A quick, easy subject change. He didn't want to acknowledge how awkward the moment had been just moments prior or how he had responded to the situation alone.

Although he unconsciously tilted his head when the other man broke out into a small fit of giggling. Pure confusion crossing his face.

‘‘ …What's so funny? ’’

His fit of giggles eventually stopped, though he still looked at his captain with that affectionate expression. He gazed at his captain's face. Even though he wasn't an observant person himself, he still noticed the little things about his captain, and those little things made his heartbeat feel even louder.

His attention eventually returned to the man's eyes. He had been momentarily distracted and didn't respond to the question at first, blinking his eyes with confusion before eventually realizing that he had been asked something.

" Oh! Uh— I usually go after I get off work, I pass by the park on my way back home anyway!"

He seemed to still be quite flustered from the earlier fumble he had made, but was slightly thankful for the subject change.

His heart wanted to explode out of his chest when Wesker tilted his head and asked that question. He wanted to hold the man and spin him around!

"Nothing! Nothing… It's just, uh, you sorta looked like a cat doing that. It's cute!" he admitted shamelessly, his eyes sparkling with adoration. He thought for a moment before reaching out and gently placing a hand on his captain's cheek. He had no idea what he was doing himself, but he hoped that he didn't mess up just now.

Wesker gave the smallest nod in response, his eyes softening once again for a couple of passing seconds. He couldn't quite help it. His body certainly betrayed him during these moments.

He'd open his mouth like he had something to say, yet no words came out. So he closed it again.

Thankfully, drastic reactions weren't ever very prominent with Wesker. But the faint red on his face was there no matter what he did, said or thought.

‘‘ Repeat? ’’

He heard what he said, loud and clear.

…But maybe some part of him wanted to hear it again.

Much to his dismay, he leaned into Chris' touch. It wasn't something he got to experience often. Though it was a mental battle to accept any sort of affection as it was, he couldn't pass down this moment.

Chris's heart skipped another beat as he glanced at his captain, who seemed to be leaning into his touch. He was nearly convinced he was seeing things, that he might blink and the entire situation would vanish in an instant.

But as a minute passed by, nothing changed, although he noticed the faint hint of a blush on Wesker's face, which made him even giddier inside. He hesitated when asked to repeat what he had said. He averted his gaze and paused, eventually repeating it in what seemed to be an embarrassed tone.

"I said, it's uh . . . cute!" He stammered, lightly tracing his thumb along Wesker's cheek. He definitely didn't recognize this side of his captain, but he wanted to see it more.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

He'd remain quiet for a long while, eyelids fluttering shut for just a couple of seconds. Savouring the moment as it lasted.

His hand repositioned again, this time to lightly settle on the back of Chris' hand. Holding it where it was, against his face.

Truthfully, he'd never felt so uncharacteristically soft before. The need to be so.. gentle?

Never once had he ever thought in his life that he'd be in a situation such as this one.

And he was.

It killed some part of him to know that one man, his words, and his touch could reduce him to this.

What a sight for sore eyes.

He reopened his eyes to look at Chris. Really look at him, this time. Even if it wasn't very easy to tell what he did with his eyes beyond the black tinted shades of his.

The rest of Wesker was blissfully unaware of how he seemed outside of his perspective. Especially in his point man's eyes.

Without another thought, he'd lean closer. Hand travelling to the side of Chris' face instead as he placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Letting that linger for a few more milliseconds longer before he made the slightest slither of distance between them. Still far too close, but enough so that their lips didn't touch. Wesker was barely processing what he'd just done in his own head…

As though gears were turning on repeat but not ever coming to a conclusion.

He froze in place, his eyes widening in the greatest shock he had ever felt, hands lifting in the air aimlessly. His heart felt like it had almost stopped. He never thought that this would happen in a million years, and yet it was happening right now. He stayed still for a millisecond exactly before immediately melting into the kiss, and fluttering his eyelids closed.

As the kiss ended, he slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. He was speechless, and frankly, he didn't want to ruin the moment. He gently bumped his forehead against Wesker's. He stayed still for a couple of seconds more before leaning in again and returning the soft, gentle kiss.

His mind was running through so many thoughts that it was almost incoherent, but they all landed on one thing, the man in front of him, whom he never wanted to be apart from ever. He pulled away from the kiss ever so slightly and reached out, wanting to remove his captain's glasses to see those beautiful blue eyes, but waiting for a confirmation from him, searching his face.

The smallest smile curled onto his lips the second that Chris reciprocated. Right then and there, nothing else mattered. Nothing else but that man.

The way he looked at him, how carefully he handled him for a reason that even Wesker couldn't name.

There was the slightest hitch in his breathing pattern at first. However, it didn't seem like it took long for him to adjust.

He'd spent so long, far too long, wanting this moment himself. Craving it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't something he was able to come to terms with for a long, long time, and he wasn't so sure how far this moment would go or the time it would last.

Wesker didn't speak. If he did, he knew he'd sound utterly ridiculous doing so.

That red on his face darkened, the faint shade creeping up his neck and in on his face. He'd spent a decent while studying Chris' face. Eyes shifting towards his hand for a second before settling back on the man's face.

He'd nod.

Simple, silent confirmation.

Chris would instantly beam upon receiving confirmation, making contact with the sunglasses and slowly pulling them off to show Wesker's blue eyes. He paused, his hand with the sunglasses suspended in the air. He never expected his captain to have such beautiful eyes.

He was mesmerized, his blush deepening as he placed the glasses on the table, instead cupping his captain's face and gently rubbing his thumb close to the corner of his eye, taking in his face fully for a long moment.

"Whoa, they're beautiful…" he eventually spoke, his voice, although hushed, not wanting the moment to end too soon.

Wesker was fairly hesitant, but he adjusted in no time.

His eyes met Chris' for a lasting minute, gaze softening all over again. The way in which Chris admired him like he was something precious really did make him feel painfully weak, in a good way?

It was hard to explain.

He'd never been fond of being in such a position, but this man made it so unbelievably manageable.

Likeable, dare I say.

He'd glance down to the right, parting his lips to speak—but to no avail. His eyes trailed back up to Chris the moment he heard that compliment.

Him?

His eyes?

Beautiful?

‘‘ Chris… ’’

Wesker muttered, eyes half lidded. Briefly closing whenever Chris would brush his thumb to the corner of his eye so gently.

‘‘ I do not see the appeal that you do .. ’’

It was a wonderful feeling. Knowing that someone else could appreciate him and the parts of him he may hold insecurities about… even if he'd never voice that out loud.

It was so wonderful that it stung some part of him deep inside. It was almost addictive.

He'd never felt so.. cherished.

Chris still gazed at him with a soft, tender expression, his eyes fixed only on Wesker, ignoring everything else but the man in front of him.

He immediately frowned when he heard his captain's words. How could his captain dismiss how beautiful his eyes looked? He could have stared at them for hours if given the chance. His heart melted at the sight of Wesker's half-lidded eyes and how he closed them briefly as well. His thumb gently brushed his face.

"What do you mean? It's the truth!" he huffed, clearly pouting, even as he continued to brush his thumb against the corner of Wesker's eyes. How could he show him that his eyes were the most beautiful thing on earth?

He paused for a moment, then a flicker of an idea sparked in his mind. He fluttered his eyes before shifting his hands away slightly, back to the side of his captain's face, then leaned in and landed soft, gentle kisses on his eyelid. He wasn't even thinking anymore— this man was preoccupying his entire mind!

‘‘ The truth.. ’’

He whispered under his own breath, scoffing in disbelief. Wesker spent his time searching Chris' face for any hint of a sign that he'd be lying. That he was saying all this just because.

However, the light kisses to his eyelids shut that train of thoughts down FAST. He couldn't articulate a proper response—he could barely process what was going on, let alone what he should say or do. This was new to him. Emotional intimacy or anything of that sort wasn't something that he knew very well.

But that didn't matter, did it?

Chris didn't mind. So he didn't find himself questioning it further. Simply.. accepted.

‘‘ Mm.. you are ridiculous. ’’

Betraying his own words, his tone lacked any real bite to it. Rather, it was only a way to fill the silence. Although that wasn't necessarily needed, his own inability to figure out a reaction was gnawing away at him inside and out.

Wesker exhaled a soft sigh, tilting his head down south a tiny bit. Not a major movement, only a small shift. Showing his eyes alone was embarrassing to him.

One of his hands slid back up to cup Chris' own, fingers gently grazing across the back of his hand.

Chris had eventually stopped the soft kisses on the other man's eyelids, his eyes fluttering open while he gazed at the man still so close by him. He hummed softly as his hand was captured by his captain's. He let it stay there for a couple of seconds before shifting his hand to intertwine their hands.

He moved their joined hands closer to himself, planting a kiss on the middle of Wesker's hand and then, grinning like an idiot, he knew his captain struggled with these types of things, so if he had to be the one leading it, so be it, he didn't mind at all! As long as he could give all his love to him.

"I'm not ridiculous! I won't be silenced, I'll speak my truuuthh! " He muttered the last part in a teasing singy-songy voice, his other free hand still gently caressing the side of his captain's face.

Wesker's eyes slowllllyyy lifted to Chris' eyes for what felt like the twentieth time now, after studying his hand for an eternity.

He did nothing but silently watch, returning a decently melancholic gaze.

He couldn't help but wonder about the future ahead of them. How would he process this moment afterwards? What would he say? Do? Everything felt too surreal.

‘‘ I.. believe break has gone overtime. ’’

He'd clear his throat, eyelids fluttering shut as he pondered.

Yet despite the dismissal, it didn't seem like he wanted the moment to end, himself. He only seemed to disappoint himself by making the time known.

He wasn't sure when he'd experience this again.

…Would Chris look at him the same once this time was over?

Was all he thought in his mind, unconsciously leaning back into the man's hand like it was some sort of life support for him.

His actions realllyyy betrayed how much he tried to deny or make sense of this scenario in his head…

He met his gaze with his own soft gaze, peering into those melancholic eyes. He wasn't thinking about anything else but this moment. He didn't say anything more as they both stared at each other.

Although he snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the man speak, his eyebrows raised, he felt disappointed that their time together was ending, turning to look at the clock in the middle of the cafeteria's wall. Then he turned back to Wesker and squeezed his hand.

"Oh man, really? I don't want this to end . . ." he muttered under his breath, his eyes conveying a pleading stare, almost like a puppy's eyes.

He noticed the way his captain had leaned into his hand, batting his eyes before very gently tilting his head and planting another kiss on his forehead. He couldn't help himself! How could a person be this adorable, especially his captain? He just wanted to remove all his worries and fears that he might not show...

Wesker frowned slightly at Chris' pleading stare, taking his time to study his eyes with his own half-lidded ones.

Eventually, that was cut short yet again when the kiss was placed against his forehead, the heat in his face worsening.

With a sigh, he shook his head side to side.

‘‘ I must work, as should you… ’’

A beat of silence passed.

Then, one eye reopened, revealing that tinted blue iris once more.

‘‘ Or, you come to my office. ’’

He'd fall silent like before, letting the offer hang in the air. It wasn't often he invited people to his space… let alone after a scene such as this one.

But truth be told, he wanted it to keep going.

Chris let out a disappointed huff at the reminder of how he had to work. Oh man, can't they stay in this moment forever? He groaned, despite his pouting, he never removed his hand from his captain's face, enjoying the contact between them.

" Psssh, stupid dumb boring woorrrkk…." he mumbled, closing his eyes and sighing dramatically.

Although the disappointment didn't last long, as he heard the offer, he immediately stood up eagerly, and opened his eyes that were now shimmering, making contact with his captain's own beautiful eyes. He definitely wasn't saying no to this, not in a million years!

" Really? Really?? You'd allow me??" he questioned enthusiastically, now beaming with joy.

‘‘ Yes, you… ’’

Wesker hummed, a quiet chuckle slipping from his throat.

‘‘ As long as you do not disrupt me, fully, ’’

Vaguely implying that he would let him, to a degree. As long as he could get something done work wise. He truly did favour Chris and his affection more than he believed, or let on.

Despite his attempt at staying unaffected, which clearly didn't work—he'd bring Chris' hand around front to kiss each of his knuckles and then settle it back upon his own cheek for a few minutes.

Dragging out the lasting moment before bringing their hands back down infront of them both.

‘‘ Well? ’’

An expectant question to receive an answer. So impatient, for someone who claims not to care…!!

His eyes seemed to sparkle even more, if that was possible, although he immediately felt flustered when Wesker kissed his knuckles. He felt like he had fallen even deeper into a never-ending hole, which he frankly didn't want to escape from.

He let out a nervous laugh, turning his gaze aside as he tried to compose himself. Then he shifted his eyes back to him, eventually nodding, and turned back to squeeze his hand gently while looking into his eyes with admiration, still captivated after what felt like quite a while.

"Aha— no promises, Captain!" he responded, brushing his thumb against Wesker's hand. He wasn't planning to let go anytime soon!

He stayed silent for a moment, simply staring at the man before blinking and tilting his head at the expectant, impatient question. He grinned widely as he raised their joined hands slightly.

"Yes! Yes, yes! Yeah, I'd like that very much! Thought I made it clear, Ahha—"

Wesker kept his gaze ahead, entirely focusing on Chris. Ironic, for somebody who claimed that little to nobody was worth his time or attention.

Yet, here he was, offering his fullest to this man.

He mentally noted his reactions to his gestures.. that he was for sure replicating by himself.

That was a good response, yes? Being nervous. Well.. when it was anyone BUT himself experiencing that sort of feeling.

‘‘ I prefer verbal confirmation than my own assumptions. ’’

Wesker slid one hand away to sweep up his sunglasses in between his fingers, placing them back upon his face. He'd probably take them off again once they were in a more appropriate location, such as his office, but he didn't want anyone else to note his appearance without them. That, and light sensitivity…

‘‘ Very well then.. come along. ’’

Chris still seemed a bit flustered but stared back at his captain, who had the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen in his entire life.

He blinked as he watched Wesker place his sunglasses back on. Part of him felt disappointed that he couldn't stare into those soft eyes at this moment anymore. He moved his free hand back and tapped it on the table, out of habit, turning his gaze down at their hands, then back at Wesker, his eyes gleaming and full of joy.

"Well, if you say so!" he hummed before immediately standing up upon hearing the confirmation from his captain. He still held one of his hands, waiting impatiently for the other man to stand up—almost ready to rush to the office before him if he could.

"Come on, come on! Let's go!" He exclaimed as he gently tugged on his hand, then moved his other hand to grasp Wesker's, which he was holding still with his other hand.

Wesker watched Chris stand in complete silence for a moment, doing nothing but staring. He was oddly captivated by this man and his reactions…

He snapped out of it at the impatient tug of his hand, followed with energetic exclaims. And with that, he moved to his feet. Rewarding the other with a nod.

‘‘ I'm coming, I'm coming… quiet down a little. ’’

A quiet, quick sigh came after.

‘‘ Leave the packaging here. Someone will dispose of it. ’’

Subsequently, he'd swerve out from his seat and bring Chris with him, never daring to let go of his hand. Or, even begin to think of that idea.

The two tread down the hall for a few minutes. In all fairness, it was fairly awkward on Wesker's behalf. He never spoke too much, lacking words.

‘‘ Do not rummage around, and you'll stay longer.. ’’

That said, the door—left slightly ajar—was pushed open.

Chris regarded the nod with a big smile of his own, looking up at him when he got up from his seat. The height difference was small, though noticeable, and it made him a bit embarrassed, but he eventually shook his head and grinned again.

As he stared at Wesker, he glanced at the unfinished sandwiches and realized they had spent their entire break "flirting," or whatever he could call it. He suddenly blushed bright red, then giggled uncontrollably and looked away.

"Oh man, we didn't even finish them . . . That's a bummer . . . " he trailed off, mumbling incoherently, before raising his head and blinking, noticing that they were already going and following after his captain, who was leading him to the office. Although his focus was on their intertwined hands, it seemed to be the main cause of his flustered expression. Although he seemed okay with the awkward silence.

When they finally reached the office, Chris wanted to sprint in, but held himself back at the warning of Wesker, his grin turning sheepish as he shifted impatiently.

"Aww, come on! I wouldn't do that, psssh . . . Why would I?" he rambled, shaking his free hand in the air.

He immediately went inside with his captain into the office, still holding his hand tightly as he looked around. He never fully took it in, but the office was organized and clean, yet the pile of papers on the desk reminded him of work, making him sigh.

‘‘ You have your moments with curiosity. ’’

Wesker responded without question, swiftly closing the door behind him. With a sigh, he tread further into the room and found his way to his desk, opening up a drawer with his free hand to dish out a better pen.

‘‘ Your boredom seems to be rather normal in situations involving work. Paperwork, moreso. I don't trust that you won't get fidgety over time. ’’

He flipped open a page of a book and set it neatly aside, seeking out a specific section. Then he wrote down a couple of notes in the corner of the page, signing off his name. Setting it to the side and pulling out yet another slip of paper to work over it.

‘‘ Grab a stool from the left so you mustn't stand all day. ’’

He fell silent again, though he wasn't letting go of Chris' hand at all. He enjoyed holding his hand, and he figured that the other man felt the same way about that…

#resident evil rp #rp blog #chris redfield #albert wesker #resident evil #chrisker #stars era #stars wesker #stars chris #NO PROBLEM I FELLASLEEP TOO #im gknna get the las plagas vro #WE DID WE LITERALLY MWDE RESIDENT EVIL TRSUT ME /J #“go grab a stool” as he holds him right where he is #wesker i dont thjnk he can go very far #chris ur so cute #crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

His face would immediately flush red, his grip on his hands tightening instinctively as he looked to the side and smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to say that at all! Why would he do that! He reached with his spare hand to scratch the back of his neck, although it couldn't fix how hard his heart was pounding.

He sighed and slumped on the table again, moving his free hand from his neck to his face to cover it, grumbling into it. He was clearly extremely embarrassed that it had slipped out.

He slowly gazed upward at his captain, still not letting go of his hand anytime soon, as he grinned, trying to play it cool.

" Haha, Sorry, captain! I—uh, messed up with my words. . ." Definitely, he himself knew that was a lie, but he couldn't admit it, could he?

He eventually noticed the way Wesker was kneading at his shoulder like a cat making biscuits. That image made him let out a fond giggle, his nose crinkling as he laughed.

Wesker raised a brow in suspicion, closely hyper-analysing every miniscule reaction from Chris once again.

How he made his movements, when he made them, how fast he made them .. what movements he ended up doing overall.

Digging deeper into his mind, what every tiny thing could possibly mean or link back to.

He found that handy about himself sometimes. However, it was also a feature about himself he despised, as it only led to further issues or miscalculations in judgement.

His mind had circled around for a decent while. If he didn't know any better, he would've kissed the man in front of him then and there… but his pride and shame got the better of him.

‘‘ Messed up. ’’

He'd repeat under his breath with a soft sigh, shaking his head left to right in disapproval.

‘‘ What time do you usually head out to feed this 'stray' of yours? ’’

A quick, easy subject change. He didn't want to acknowledge how awkward the moment had been just moments prior or how he had responded to the situation alone.

Although he unconsciously tilted his head when the other man broke out into a small fit of giggling. Pure confusion crossing his face.

‘‘ …What's so funny? ’’

His fit of giggles eventually stopped, though he still looked at his captain with that affectionate expression. He gazed at his captain's face. Even though he wasn't an observant person himself, he still noticed the little things about his captain, and those little things made his heartbeat feel even louder.

His attention eventually returned to the man's eyes. He had been momentarily distracted and didn't respond to the question at first, blinking his eyes with confusion before eventually realizing that he had been asked something.

" Oh! Uh— I usually go after I get off work, I pass by the park on my way back home anyway!"

He seemed to still be quite flustered from the earlier fumble he had made, but was slightly thankful for the subject change.

His heart wanted to explode out of his chest when Wesker tilted his head and asked that question. He wanted to hold the man and spin him around!

"Nothing! Nothing… It's just, uh, you sorta looked like a cat doing that. It's cute!" he admitted shamelessly, his eyes sparkling with adoration. He thought for a moment before reaching out and gently placing a hand on his captain's cheek. He had no idea what he was doing himself, but he hoped that he didn't mess up just now.

Wesker gave the smallest nod in response, his eyes softening once again for a couple of passing seconds. He couldn't quite help it. His body certainly betrayed him during these moments.

He'd open his mouth like he had something to say, yet no words came out. So he closed it again.

Thankfully, drastic reactions weren't ever very prominent with Wesker. But the faint red on his face was there no matter what he did, said or thought.

‘‘ Repeat? ’’

He heard what he said, loud and clear.

…But maybe some part of him wanted to hear it again.

Much to his dismay, he leaned into Chris' touch. It wasn't something he got to experience often. Though it was a mental battle to accept any sort of affection as it was, he couldn't pass down this moment.

Chris's heart skipped another beat as he glanced at his captain, who seemed to be leaning into his touch. He was nearly convinced he was seeing things, that he might blink and the entire situation would vanish in an instant.

But as a minute passed by, nothing changed, although he noticed the faint hint of a blush on Wesker's face, which made him even giddier inside. He hesitated when asked to repeat what he had said. He averted his gaze and paused, eventually repeating it in what seemed to be an embarrassed tone.

"I said, it's uh . . . cute!" He stammered, lightly tracing his thumb along Wesker's cheek. He definitely didn't recognize this side of his captain, but he wanted to see it more.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

He'd remain quiet for a long while, eyelids fluttering shut for just a couple of seconds. Savouring the moment as it lasted.

His hand repositioned again, this time to lightly settle on the back of Chris' hand. Holding it where it was, against his face.

Truthfully, he'd never felt so uncharacteristically soft before. The need to be so.. gentle?

Never once had he ever thought in his life that he'd be in a situation such as this one.

And he was.

It killed some part of him to know that one man, his words, and his touch could reduce him to this.

What a sight for sore eyes.

He reopened his eyes to look at Chris. Really look at him, this time. Even if it wasn't very easy to tell what he did with his eyes beyond the black tinted shades of his.

The rest of Wesker was blissfully unaware of how he seemed outside of his perspective. Especially in his point man's eyes.

Without another thought, he'd lean closer. Hand travelling to the side of Chris' face instead as he placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Letting that linger for a few more milliseconds longer before he made the slightest slither of distance between them. Still far too close, but enough so that their lips didn't touch. Wesker was barely processing what he'd just done in his own head…

As though gears were turning on repeat but not ever coming to a conclusion.

He froze in place, his eyes widening in the greatest shock he had ever felt, hands lifting in the air aimlessly. His heart felt like it had almost stopped. He never thought that this would happen in a million years, and yet it was happening right now. He stayed still for a millisecond exactly before immediately melting into the kiss, and fluttering his eyelids closed.

As the kiss ended, he slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. He was speechless, and frankly, he didn't want to ruin the moment. He gently bumped his forehead against Wesker's. He stayed still for a couple of seconds more before leaning in again and returning the soft, gentle kiss.

His mind was running through so many thoughts that it was almost incoherent, but they all landed on one thing, the man in front of him, whom he never wanted to be apart from ever. He pulled away from the kiss ever so slightly and reached out, wanting to remove his captain's glasses to see those beautiful blue eyes, but waiting for a confirmation from him, searching his face.

The smallest smile curled onto his lips the second that Chris reciprocated. Right then and there, nothing else mattered. Nothing else but that man.

The way he looked at him, how carefully he handled him for a reason that even Wesker couldn't name.

There was the slightest hitch in his breathing pattern at first. However, it didn't seem like it took long for him to adjust.

He'd spent so long, far too long, wanting this moment himself. Craving it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't something he was able to come to terms with for a long, long time, and he wasn't so sure how far this moment would go or the time it would last.

Wesker didn't speak. If he did, he knew he'd sound utterly ridiculous doing so.

That red on his face darkened, the faint shade creeping up his neck and in on his face. He'd spent a decent while studying Chris' face. Eyes shifting towards his hand for a second before settling back on the man's face.

He'd nod.

Simple, silent confirmation.

Chris would instantly beam upon receiving confirmation, making contact with the sunglasses and slowly pulling them off to show Wesker's blue eyes. He paused, his hand with the sunglasses suspended in the air. He never expected his captain to have such beautiful eyes.

He was mesmerized, his blush deepening as he placed the glasses on the table, instead cupping his captain's face and gently rubbing his thumb close to the corner of his eye, taking in his face fully for a long moment.

"Whoa, they're beautiful…" he eventually spoke, his voice, although hushed, not wanting the moment to end too soon.

Wesker was fairly hesitant, but he adjusted in no time.

His eyes met Chris' for a lasting minute, gaze softening all over again. The way in which Chris admired him like he was something precious really did make him feel painfully weak, in a good way?

It was hard to explain.

He'd never been fond of being in such a position, but this man made it so unbelievably manageable.

Likeable, dare I say.

He'd glance down to the right, parting his lips to speak—but to no avail. His eyes trailed back up to Chris the moment he heard that compliment.

Him?

His eyes?

Beautiful?

‘‘ Chris… ’’

Wesker muttered, eyes half lidded. Briefly closing whenever Chris would brush his thumb to the corner of his eye so gently.

‘‘ I do not see the appeal that you do .. ’’

It was a wonderful feeling. Knowing that someone else could appreciate him and the parts of him he may hold insecurities about… even if he'd never voice that out loud.

It was so wonderful that it stung some part of him deep inside. It was almost addictive.

He'd never felt so.. cherished.

Chris still gazed at him with a soft, tender expression, his eyes fixed only on Wesker, ignoring everything else but the man in front of him.

He immediately frowned when he heard his captain's words. How could his captain dismiss how beautiful his eyes looked? He could have stared at them for hours if given the chance. His heart melted at the sight of Wesker's half-lidded eyes and how he closed them briefly as well. His thumb gently brushed his face.

"What do you mean? It's the truth!" he huffed, clearly pouting, even as he continued to brush his thumb against the corner of Wesker's eyes. How could he show him that his eyes were the most beautiful thing on earth?

He paused for a moment, then a flicker of an idea sparked in his mind. He fluttered his eyes before shifting his hands away slightly, back to the side of his captain's face, then leaned in and landed soft, gentle kisses on his eyelid. He wasn't even thinking anymore— this man was preoccupying his entire mind!

‘‘ The truth.. ’’

He whispered under his own breath, scoffing in disbelief. Wesker spent his time searching Chris' face for any hint of a sign that he'd be lying. That he was saying all this just because.

However, the light kisses to his eyelids shut that train of thoughts down FAST. He couldn't articulate a proper response—he could barely process what was going on, let alone what he should say or do. This was new to him. Emotional intimacy or anything of that sort wasn't something that he knew very well.

But that didn't matter, did it?

Chris didn't mind. So he didn't find himself questioning it further. Simply.. accepted.

‘‘ Mm.. you are ridiculous. ’’

Betraying his own words, his tone lacked any real bite to it. Rather, it was only a way to fill the silence. Although that wasn't necessarily needed, his own inability to figure out a reaction was gnawing away at him inside and out.

Wesker exhaled a soft sigh, tilting his head down south a tiny bit. Not a major movement, only a small shift. Showing his eyes alone was embarrassing to him.

One of his hands slid back up to cup Chris' own, fingers gently grazing across the back of his hand.

Chris had eventually stopped the soft kisses on the other man's eyelids, his eyes fluttering open while he gazed at the man still so close by him. He hummed softly as his hand was captured by his captain's. He let it stay there for a couple of seconds before shifting his hand to intertwine their hands.

He moved their joined hands closer to himself, planting a kiss on the middle of Wesker's hand and then, grinning like an idiot, he knew his captain struggled with these types of things, so if he had to be the one leading it, so be it, he didn't mind at all! As long as he could give all his love to him.

"I'm not ridiculous! I won't be silenced, I'll speak my truuuthh! " He muttered the last part in a teasing singy-songy voice, his other free hand still gently caressing the side of his captain's face.

Wesker's eyes slowllllyyy lifted to Chris' eyes for what felt like the twentieth time now, after studying his hand for an eternity.

He did nothing but silently watch, returning a decently melancholic gaze.

He couldn't help but wonder about the future ahead of them. How would he process this moment afterwards? What would he say? Do? Everything felt too surreal.

‘‘ I.. believe break has gone overtime. ’’

He'd clear his throat, eyelids fluttering shut as he pondered.

Yet despite the dismissal, it didn't seem like he wanted the moment to end, himself. He only seemed to disappoint himself by making the time known.

He wasn't sure when he'd experience this again.

…Would Chris look at him the same once this time was over?

Was all he thought in his mind, unconsciously leaning back into the man's hand like it was some sort of life support for him.

His actions realllyyy betrayed how much he tried to deny or make sense of this scenario in his head…

He met his gaze with his own soft gaze, peering into those melancholic eyes. He wasn't thinking about anything else but this moment. He didn't say anything more as they both stared at each other.

Although he snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the man speak, his eyebrows raised, he felt disappointed that their time together was ending, turning to look at the clock in the middle of the cafeteria's wall. Then he turned back to Wesker and squeezed his hand.

"Oh man, really? I don't want this to end . . ." he muttered under his breath, his eyes conveying a pleading stare, almost like a puppy's eyes.

He noticed the way his captain had leaned into his hand, batting his eyes before very gently tilting his head and planting another kiss on his forehead. He couldn't help himself! How could a person be this adorable, especially his captain? He just wanted to remove all his worries and fears that he might not show...

Wesker frowned slightly at Chris' pleading stare, taking his time to study his eyes with his own half-lidded ones.

Eventually, that was cut short yet again when the kiss was placed against his forehead, the heat in his face worsening.

With a sigh, he shook his head side to side.

‘‘ I must work, as should you… ’’

A beat of silence passed.

Then, one eye reopened, revealing that tinted blue iris once more.

‘‘ Or, you come to my office. ’’

He'd fall silent like before, letting the offer hang in the air. It wasn't often he invited people to his space… let alone after a scene such as this one.

But truth be told, he wanted it to keep going.

Chris let out a disappointed huff at the reminder of how he had to work. Oh man, can't they stay in this moment forever? He groaned, despite his pouting, he never removed his hand from his captain's face, enjoying the contact between them.

" Psssh, stupid dumb boring woorrrkk…." he mumbled, closing his eyes and sighing dramatically.

Although the disappointment didn't last long, as he heard the offer, he immediately stood up eagerly, and opened his eyes that were now shimmering, making contact with his captain's own beautiful eyes. He definitely wasn't saying no to this, not in a million years!

" Really? Really?? You'd allow me??" he questioned enthusiastically, now beaming with joy.

‘‘ Yes, you… ’’

Wesker hummed, a quiet chuckle slipping from his throat.

‘‘ As long as you do not disrupt me, fully, ’’

Vaguely implying that he would let him, to a degree. As long as he could get something done work wise. He truly did favour Chris and his affection more than he believed, or let on.

Despite his attempt at staying unaffected, which clearly didn't work—he'd bring Chris' hand around front to kiss each of his knuckles and then settle it back upon his own cheek for a few minutes.

Dragging out the lasting moment before bringing their hands back down infront of them both.

‘‘ Well? ’’

An expectant question to receive an answer. So impatient, for someone who claims not to care…!!

His eyes seemed to sparkle even more, if that was possible, although he immediately felt flustered when Wesker kissed his knuckles. He felt like he had fallen even deeper into a never-ending hole, which he frankly didn't want to escape from.

He let out a nervous laugh, turning his gaze aside as he tried to compose himself. Then he shifted his eyes back to him, eventually nodding, and turned back to squeeze his hand gently while looking into his eyes with admiration, still captivated after what felt like quite a while.

"Aha— no promises, Captain!" he responded, brushing his thumb against Wesker's hand. He wasn't planning to let go anytime soon!

He stayed silent for a moment, simply staring at the man before blinking and tilting his head at the expectant, impatient question. He grinned widely as he raised their joined hands slightly.

"Yes! Yes, yes! Yeah, I'd like that very much! Thought I made it clear, Ahha—"

Wesker kept his gaze ahead, entirely focusing on Chris. Ironic, for somebody who claimed that little to nobody was worth his time or attention.

Yet, here he was, offering his fullest to this man.

He mentally noted his reactions to his gestures.. that he was for sure replicating by himself.

That was a good response, yes? Being nervous. Well.. when it was anyone BUT himself experiencing that sort of feeling.

‘‘ I prefer verbal confirmation than my own assumptions. ’’

Wesker slid one hand away to sweep up his sunglasses in between his fingers, placing them back upon his face. He'd probably take them off again once they were in a more appropriate location, such as his office, but he didn't want anyone else to note his appearance without them. That, and light sensitivity…

‘‘ Very well then.. come along. ’’

Chris still seemed a bit flustered but stared back at his captain, who had the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen in his entire life.

He blinked as he watched Wesker place his sunglasses back on. Part of him felt disappointed that he couldn't stare into those soft eyes at this moment anymore. He moved his free hand back and tapped it on the table, out of habit, turning his gaze down at their hands, then back at Wesker, his eyes gleaming and full of joy.

"Well, if you say so!" he hummed before immediately standing up upon hearing the confirmation from his captain. He still held one of his hands, waiting impatiently for the other man to stand up—almost ready to rush to the office before him if he could.

"Come on, come on! Let's go!" He exclaimed as he gently tugged on his hand, then moved his other hand to grasp Wesker's, which he was holding still with his other hand.

Wesker watched Chris stand in complete silence for a moment, doing nothing but staring. He was oddly captivated by this man and his reactions…

He snapped out of it at the impatient tug of his hand, followed with energetic exclaims. And with that, he moved to his feet. Rewarding the other with a nod.

‘‘ I'm coming, I'm coming… quiet down a little. ’’

A quiet, quick sigh came after.

‘‘ Leave the packaging here. Someone will dispose of it. ’’

Subsequently, he'd swerve out from his seat and bring Chris with him, never daring to let go of his hand. Or, even begin to think of that idea.

The two tread down the hall for a few minutes. In all fairness, it was fairly awkward on Wesker's behalf. He never spoke too much, lacking words.

‘‘ Do not rummage around, and you'll stay longer.. ’’

That said, the door—left slightly ajar—was pushed open.

#resident evil rp #rp blog #chris redfield #albert wesker #resident evil #chrisker #stars era #stars wesker #stars chris #HIHIGIHIJSJS can fhe summer stop existing i hate the summer #im so bad in heat #genuinely got me feeling like leon kennedy when he keels over #THEY ARE SO CUTE AHJGJJG wesker is so self conscious of his eyes but he loves that chris loves them trust me #imbliterally capcom WE are literally capcom its canon /j #wesker is awful at hiding anything oh my god. i like to think he's usually great at that but if it genuinely catches him off guard he CANT..#crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

His face would immediately flush red, his grip on his hands tightening instinctively as he looked to the side and smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to say that at all! Why would he do that! He reached with his spare hand to scratch the back of his neck, although it couldn't fix how hard his heart was pounding.

He sighed and slumped on the table again, moving his free hand from his neck to his face to cover it, grumbling into it. He was clearly extremely embarrassed that it had slipped out.

He slowly gazed upward at his captain, still not letting go of his hand anytime soon, as he grinned, trying to play it cool.

" Haha, Sorry, captain! I—uh, messed up with my words. . ." Definitely, he himself knew that was a lie, but he couldn't admit it, could he?

He eventually noticed the way Wesker was kneading at his shoulder like a cat making biscuits. That image made him let out a fond giggle, his nose crinkling as he laughed.

Wesker raised a brow in suspicion, closely hyper-analysing every miniscule reaction from Chris once again.

How he made his movements, when he made them, how fast he made them .. what movements he ended up doing overall.

Digging deeper into his mind, what every tiny thing could possibly mean or link back to.

He found that handy about himself sometimes. However, it was also a feature about himself he despised, as it only led to further issues or miscalculations in judgement.

His mind had circled around for a decent while. If he didn't know any better, he would've kissed the man in front of him then and there… but his pride and shame got the better of him.

‘‘ Messed up. ’’

He'd repeat under his breath with a soft sigh, shaking his head left to right in disapproval.

‘‘ What time do you usually head out to feed this 'stray' of yours? ’’

A quick, easy subject change. He didn't want to acknowledge how awkward the moment had been just moments prior or how he had responded to the situation alone.

Although he unconsciously tilted his head when the other man broke out into a small fit of giggling. Pure confusion crossing his face.

‘‘ …What's so funny? ’’

His fit of giggles eventually stopped, though he still looked at his captain with that affectionate expression. He gazed at his captain's face. Even though he wasn't an observant person himself, he still noticed the little things about his captain, and those little things made his heartbeat feel even louder.

His attention eventually returned to the man's eyes. He had been momentarily distracted and didn't respond to the question at first, blinking his eyes with confusion before eventually realizing that he had been asked something.

" Oh! Uh— I usually go after I get off work, I pass by the park on my way back home anyway!"

He seemed to still be quite flustered from the earlier fumble he had made, but was slightly thankful for the subject change.

His heart wanted to explode out of his chest when Wesker tilted his head and asked that question. He wanted to hold the man and spin him around!

"Nothing! Nothing… It's just, uh, you sorta looked like a cat doing that. It's cute!" he admitted shamelessly, his eyes sparkling with adoration. He thought for a moment before reaching out and gently placing a hand on his captain's cheek. He had no idea what he was doing himself, but he hoped that he didn't mess up just now.

Wesker gave the smallest nod in response, his eyes softening once again for a couple of passing seconds. He couldn't quite help it. His body certainly betrayed him during these moments.

He'd open his mouth like he had something to say, yet no words came out. So he closed it again.

Thankfully, drastic reactions weren't ever very prominent with Wesker. But the faint red on his face was there no matter what he did, said or thought.

‘‘ Repeat? ’’

He heard what he said, loud and clear.

…But maybe some part of him wanted to hear it again.

Much to his dismay, he leaned into Chris' touch. It wasn't something he got to experience often. Though it was a mental battle to accept any sort of affection as it was, he couldn't pass down this moment.

Chris's heart skipped another beat as he glanced at his captain, who seemed to be leaning into his touch. He was nearly convinced he was seeing things, that he might blink and the entire situation would vanish in an instant.

But as a minute passed by, nothing changed, although he noticed the faint hint of a blush on Wesker's face, which made him even giddier inside. He hesitated when asked to repeat what he had said. He averted his gaze and paused, eventually repeating it in what seemed to be an embarrassed tone.

"I said, it's uh . . . cute!" He stammered, lightly tracing his thumb along Wesker's cheek. He definitely didn't recognize this side of his captain, but he wanted to see it more.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

He'd remain quiet for a long while, eyelids fluttering shut for just a couple of seconds. Savouring the moment as it lasted.

His hand repositioned again, this time to lightly settle on the back of Chris' hand. Holding it where it was, against his face.

Truthfully, he'd never felt so uncharacteristically soft before. The need to be so.. gentle?

Never once had he ever thought in his life that he'd be in a situation such as this one.

And he was.

It killed some part of him to know that one man, his words, and his touch could reduce him to this.

What a sight for sore eyes.

He reopened his eyes to look at Chris. Really look at him, this time. Even if it wasn't very easy to tell what he did with his eyes beyond the black tinted shades of his.

The rest of Wesker was blissfully unaware of how he seemed outside of his perspective. Especially in his point man's eyes.

Without another thought, he'd lean closer. Hand travelling to the side of Chris' face instead as he placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Letting that linger for a few more milliseconds longer before he made the slightest slither of distance between them. Still far too close, but enough so that their lips didn't touch. Wesker was barely processing what he'd just done in his own head…

As though gears were turning on repeat but not ever coming to a conclusion.

He froze in place, his eyes widening in the greatest shock he had ever felt, hands lifting in the air aimlessly. His heart felt like it had almost stopped. He never thought that this would happen in a million years, and yet it was happening right now. He stayed still for a millisecond exactly before immediately melting into the kiss, and fluttering his eyelids closed.

As the kiss ended, he slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. He was speechless, and frankly, he didn't want to ruin the moment. He gently bumped his forehead against Wesker's. He stayed still for a couple of seconds more before leaning in again and returning the soft, gentle kiss.

His mind was running through so many thoughts that it was almost incoherent, but they all landed on one thing, the man in front of him, whom he never wanted to be apart from ever. He pulled away from the kiss ever so slightly and reached out, wanting to remove his captain's glasses to see those beautiful blue eyes, but waiting for a confirmation from him, searching his face.

The smallest smile curled onto his lips the second that Chris reciprocated. Right then and there, nothing else mattered. Nothing else but that man.

The way he looked at him, how carefully he handled him for a reason that even Wesker couldn't name.

There was the slightest hitch in his breathing pattern at first. However, it didn't seem like it took long for him to adjust.

He'd spent so long, far too long, wanting this moment himself. Craving it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't something he was able to come to terms with for a long, long time, and he wasn't so sure how far this moment would go or the time it would last.

Wesker didn't speak. If he did, he knew he'd sound utterly ridiculous doing so.

That red on his face darkened, the faint shade creeping up his neck and in on his face. He'd spent a decent while studying Chris' face. Eyes shifting towards his hand for a second before settling back on the man's face.

He'd nod.

Simple, silent confirmation.

Chris would instantly beam upon receiving confirmation, making contact with the sunglasses and slowly pulling them off to show Wesker's blue eyes. He paused, his hand with the sunglasses suspended in the air. He never expected his captain to have such beautiful eyes.

He was mesmerized, his blush deepening as he placed the glasses on the table, instead cupping his captain's face and gently rubbing his thumb close to the corner of his eye, taking in his face fully for a long moment.

"Whoa, they're beautiful…" he eventually spoke, his voice, although hushed, not wanting the moment to end too soon.

Wesker was fairly hesitant, but he adjusted in no time.

His eyes met Chris' for a lasting minute, gaze softening all over again. The way in which Chris admired him like he was something precious really did make him feel painfully weak, in a good way?

It was hard to explain.

He'd never been fond of being in such a position, but this man made it so unbelievably manageable.

Likeable, dare I say.

He'd glance down to the right, parting his lips to speak—but to no avail. His eyes trailed back up to Chris the moment he heard that compliment.

Him?

His eyes?

Beautiful?

‘‘ Chris… ’’

Wesker muttered, eyes half lidded. Briefly closing whenever Chris would brush his thumb to the corner of his eye so gently.

‘‘ I do not see the appeal that you do .. ’’

It was a wonderful feeling. Knowing that someone else could appreciate him and the parts of him he may hold insecurities about… even if he'd never voice that out loud.

It was so wonderful that it stung some part of him deep inside. It was almost addictive.

He'd never felt so.. cherished.

Chris still gazed at him with a soft, tender expression, his eyes fixed only on Wesker, ignoring everything else but the man in front of him.

He immediately frowned when he heard his captain's words. How could his captain dismiss how beautiful his eyes looked? He could have stared at them for hours if given the chance. His heart melted at the sight of Wesker's half-lidded eyes and how he closed them briefly as well. His thumb gently brushed his face.

"What do you mean? It's the truth!" he huffed, clearly pouting, even as he continued to brush his thumb against the corner of Wesker's eyes. How could he show him that his eyes were the most beautiful thing on earth?

He paused for a moment, then a flicker of an idea sparked in his mind. He fluttered his eyes before shifting his hands away slightly, back to the side of his captain's face, then leaned in and landed soft, gentle kisses on his eyelid. He wasn't even thinking anymore— this man was preoccupying his entire mind!

‘‘ The truth.. ’’

He whispered under his own breath, scoffing in disbelief. Wesker spent his time searching Chris' face for any hint of a sign that he'd be lying. That he was saying all this just because.

However, the light kisses to his eyelids shut that train of thoughts down FAST. He couldn't articulate a proper response—he could barely process what was going on, let alone what he should say or do. This was new to him. Emotional intimacy or anything of that sort wasn't something that he knew very well.

But that didn't matter, did it?

Chris didn't mind. So he didn't find himself questioning it further. Simply.. accepted.

‘‘ Mm.. you are ridiculous. ’’

Betraying his own words, his tone lacked any real bite to it. Rather, it was only a way to fill the silence. Although that wasn't necessarily needed, his own inability to figure out a reaction was gnawing away at him inside and out.

Wesker exhaled a soft sigh, tilting his head down south a tiny bit. Not a major movement, only a small shift. Showing his eyes alone was embarrassing to him.

One of his hands slid back up to cup Chris' own, fingers gently grazing across the back of his hand.

Chris had eventually stopped the soft kisses on the other man's eyelids, his eyes fluttering open while he gazed at the man still so close by him. He hummed softly as his hand was captured by his captain's. He let it stay there for a couple of seconds before shifting his hand to intertwine their hands.

He moved their joined hands closer to himself, planting a kiss on the middle of Wesker's hand and then, grinning like an idiot, he knew his captain struggled with these types of things, so if he had to be the one leading it, so be it, he didn't mind at all! As long as he could give all his love to him.

"I'm not ridiculous! I won't be silenced, I'll speak my truuuthh! " He muttered the last part in a teasing singy-songy voice, his other free hand still gently caressing the side of his captain's face.

Wesker's eyes slowllllyyy lifted to Chris' eyes for what felt like the twentieth time now, after studying his hand for an eternity.

He did nothing but silently watch, returning a decently melancholic gaze.

He couldn't help but wonder about the future ahead of them. How would he process this moment afterwards? What would he say? Do? Everything felt too surreal.

‘‘ I.. believe break has gone overtime. ’’

He'd clear his throat, eyelids fluttering shut as he pondered.

Yet despite the dismissal, it didn't seem like he wanted the moment to end, himself. He only seemed to disappoint himself by making the time known.

He wasn't sure when he'd experience this again.

…Would Chris look at him the same once this time was over?

Was all he thought in his mind, unconsciously leaning back into the man's hand like it was some sort of life support for him.

His actions realllyyy betrayed how much he tried to deny or make sense of this scenario in his head…

He met his gaze with his own soft gaze, peering into those melancholic eyes. He wasn't thinking about anything else but this moment. He didn't say anything more as they both stared at each other.

Although he snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the man speak, his eyebrows raised, he felt disappointed that their time together was ending, turning to look at the clock in the middle of the cafeteria's wall. Then he turned back to Wesker and squeezed his hand.

"Oh man, really? I don't want this to end . . ." he muttered under his breath, his eyes conveying a pleading stare, almost like a puppy's eyes.

He noticed the way his captain had leaned into his hand, batting his eyes before very gently tilting his head and planting another kiss on his forehead. He couldn't help himself! How could a person be this adorable, especially his captain? He just wanted to remove all his worries and fears that he might not show...

Wesker frowned slightly at Chris' pleading stare, taking his time to study his eyes with his own half-lidded ones.

Eventually, that was cut short yet again when the kiss was placed against his forehead, the heat in his face worsening.

With a sigh, he shook his head side to side.

‘‘ I must work, as should you… ’’

A beat of silence passed.

Then, one eye reopened, revealing that tinted blue iris once more.

‘‘ Or, you come to my office. ’’

He'd fall silent like before, letting the offer hang in the air. It wasn't often he invited people to his space… let alone after a scene such as this one.

But truth be told, he wanted it to keep going.

Chris let out a disappointed huff at the reminder of how he had to work. Oh man, can't they stay in this moment forever? He groaned, despite his pouting, he never removed his hand from his captain's face, enjoying the contact between them.

" Psssh, stupid dumb boring woorrrkk…." he mumbled, closing his eyes and sighing dramatically.

Although the disappointment didn't last long, as he heard the offer, he immediately stood up eagerly, and opened his eyes that were now shimmering, making contact with his captain's own beautiful eyes. He definitely wasn't saying no to this, not in a million years!

" Really? Really?? You'd allow me??" he questioned enthusiastically, now beaming with joy.

‘‘ Yes, you… ’’

Wesker hummed, a quiet chuckle slipping from his throat.

‘‘ As long as you do not disrupt me, fully, ’’

Vaguely implying that he would let him, to a degree. As long as he could get something done work wise. He truly did favour Chris and his affection more than he believed, or let on.

Despite his attempt at staying unaffected, which clearly didn't work—he'd bring Chris' hand around front to kiss each of his knuckles and then settle it back upon his own cheek for a few minutes.

Dragging out the lasting moment before bringing their hands back down infront of them both.

‘‘ Well? ’’

An expectant question to receive an answer. So impatient, for someone who claims not to care…!!

His eyes seemed to sparkle even more, if that was possible, although he immediately felt flustered when Wesker kissed his knuckles. He felt like he had fallen even deeper into a never-ending hole, which he frankly didn't want to escape from.

He let out a nervous laugh, turning his gaze aside as he tried to compose himself. Then he shifted his eyes back to him, eventually nodding, and turned back to squeeze his hand gently while looking into his eyes with admiration, still captivated after what felt like quite a while.

"Aha— no promises, Captain!" he responded, brushing his thumb against Wesker's hand. He wasn't planning to let go anytime soon!

He stayed silent for a moment, simply staring at the man before blinking and tilting his head at the expectant, impatient question. He grinned widely as he raised their joined hands slightly.

"Yes! Yes, yes! Yeah, I'd like that very much! Thought I made it clear, Ahha—"

Wesker kept his gaze ahead, entirely focusing on Chris. Ironic, for somebody who claimed that little to nobody was worth his time or attention.

Yet, here he was, offering his fullest to this man.

He mentally noted his reactions to his gestures.. that he was for sure replicating by himself.

That was a good response, yes? Being nervous. Well.. when it was anyone BUT himself experiencing that sort of feeling.

‘‘ I prefer verbal confirmation than my own assumptions. ’’

Wesker slid one hand away to sweep up his sunglasses in between his fingers, placing them back upon his face. He'd probably take them off again once they were in a more appropriate location, such as his office, but he didn't want anyone else to note his appearance without them. That, and light sensitivity…

‘‘ Very well then.. come along. ’’

#resident evil rp #rp blog #chris redfield #albert wesker #resident evil #chrisker #stars era #stars chris #stars wesker #FORGIVE ME I HAVE BEEN SO SLEEPY AND DYING IN THIS HEAT.#these two are rhe cutest ever #they r gonna be the death of me #CHRISKER CHRISKER CHRISKER #i saw someone headcanon that wesker has light sensitive eyes but he also js hates how soft his eyes look so he covers them up. ahghh my baby #Wesker lowkey finding ways to keep this moment up smh... moving to a more private location so he feels less ashamed or embarrassed #theyre so cute #crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

His face would immediately flush red, his grip on his hands tightening instinctively as he looked to the side and smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to say that at all! Why would he do that! He reached with his spare hand to scratch the back of his neck, although it couldn't fix how hard his heart was pounding.

He sighed and slumped on the table again, moving his free hand from his neck to his face to cover it, grumbling into it. He was clearly extremely embarrassed that it had slipped out.

He slowly gazed upward at his captain, still not letting go of his hand anytime soon, as he grinned, trying to play it cool.

" Haha, Sorry, captain! I—uh, messed up with my words. . ." Definitely, he himself knew that was a lie, but he couldn't admit it, could he?

He eventually noticed the way Wesker was kneading at his shoulder like a cat making biscuits. That image made him let out a fond giggle, his nose crinkling as he laughed.

Wesker raised a brow in suspicion, closely hyper-analysing every miniscule reaction from Chris once again.

How he made his movements, when he made them, how fast he made them .. what movements he ended up doing overall.

Digging deeper into his mind, what every tiny thing could possibly mean or link back to.

He found that handy about himself sometimes. However, it was also a feature about himself he despised, as it only led to further issues or miscalculations in judgement.

His mind had circled around for a decent while. If he didn't know any better, he would've kissed the man in front of him then and there… but his pride and shame got the better of him.

‘‘ Messed up. ’’

He'd repeat under his breath with a soft sigh, shaking his head left to right in disapproval.

‘‘ What time do you usually head out to feed this 'stray' of yours? ’’

A quick, easy subject change. He didn't want to acknowledge how awkward the moment had been just moments prior or how he had responded to the situation alone.

Although he unconsciously tilted his head when the other man broke out into a small fit of giggling. Pure confusion crossing his face.

‘‘ …What's so funny? ’’

His fit of giggles eventually stopped, though he still looked at his captain with that affectionate expression. He gazed at his captain's face. Even though he wasn't an observant person himself, he still noticed the little things about his captain, and those little things made his heartbeat feel even louder.

His attention eventually returned to the man's eyes. He had been momentarily distracted and didn't respond to the question at first, blinking his eyes with confusion before eventually realizing that he had been asked something.

" Oh! Uh— I usually go after I get off work, I pass by the park on my way back home anyway!"

He seemed to still be quite flustered from the earlier fumble he had made, but was slightly thankful for the subject change.

His heart wanted to explode out of his chest when Wesker tilted his head and asked that question. He wanted to hold the man and spin him around!

"Nothing! Nothing… It's just, uh, you sorta looked like a cat doing that. It's cute!" he admitted shamelessly, his eyes sparkling with adoration. He thought for a moment before reaching out and gently placing a hand on his captain's cheek. He had no idea what he was doing himself, but he hoped that he didn't mess up just now.

Wesker gave the smallest nod in response, his eyes softening once again for a couple of passing seconds. He couldn't quite help it. His body certainly betrayed him during these moments.

He'd open his mouth like he had something to say, yet no words came out. So he closed it again.

Thankfully, drastic reactions weren't ever very prominent with Wesker. But the faint red on his face was there no matter what he did, said or thought.

‘‘ Repeat? ’’

He heard what he said, loud and clear.

…But maybe some part of him wanted to hear it again.

Much to his dismay, he leaned into Chris' touch. It wasn't something he got to experience often. Though it was a mental battle to accept any sort of affection as it was, he couldn't pass down this moment.

Chris's heart skipped another beat as he glanced at his captain, who seemed to be leaning into his touch. He was nearly convinced he was seeing things, that he might blink and the entire situation would vanish in an instant.

But as a minute passed by, nothing changed, although he noticed the faint hint of a blush on Wesker's face, which made him even giddier inside. He hesitated when asked to repeat what he had said. He averted his gaze and paused, eventually repeating it in what seemed to be an embarrassed tone.

"I said, it's uh . . . cute!" He stammered, lightly tracing his thumb along Wesker's cheek. He definitely didn't recognize this side of his captain, but he wanted to see it more.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

He'd remain quiet for a long while, eyelids fluttering shut for just a couple of seconds. Savouring the moment as it lasted.

His hand repositioned again, this time to lightly settle on the back of Chris' hand. Holding it where it was, against his face.

Truthfully, he'd never felt so uncharacteristically soft before. The need to be so.. gentle?

Never once had he ever thought in his life that he'd be in a situation such as this one.

And he was.

It killed some part of him to know that one man, his words, and his touch could reduce him to this.

What a sight for sore eyes.

He reopened his eyes to look at Chris. Really look at him, this time. Even if it wasn't very easy to tell what he did with his eyes beyond the black tinted shades of his.

The rest of Wesker was blissfully unaware of how he seemed outside of his perspective. Especially in his point man's eyes.

Without another thought, he'd lean closer. Hand travelling to the side of Chris' face instead as he placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Letting that linger for a few more milliseconds longer before he made the slightest slither of distance between them. Still far too close, but enough so that their lips didn't touch. Wesker was barely processing what he'd just done in his own head…

As though gears were turning on repeat but not ever coming to a conclusion.

He froze in place, his eyes widening in the greatest shock he had ever felt, hands lifting in the air aimlessly. His heart felt like it had almost stopped. He never thought that this would happen in a million years, and yet it was happening right now. He stayed still for a millisecond exactly before immediately melting into the kiss, and fluttering his eyelids closed.

As the kiss ended, he slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. He was speechless, and frankly, he didn't want to ruin the moment. He gently bumped his forehead against Wesker's. He stayed still for a couple of seconds more before leaning in again and returning the soft, gentle kiss.

His mind was running through so many thoughts that it was almost incoherent, but they all landed on one thing, the man in front of him, whom he never wanted to be apart from ever. He pulled away from the kiss ever so slightly and reached out, wanting to remove his captain's glasses to see those beautiful blue eyes, but waiting for a confirmation from him, searching his face.

The smallest smile curled onto his lips the second that Chris reciprocated. Right then and there, nothing else mattered. Nothing else but that man.

The way he looked at him, how carefully he handled him for a reason that even Wesker couldn't name.

There was the slightest hitch in his breathing pattern at first. However, it didn't seem like it took long for him to adjust.

He'd spent so long, far too long, wanting this moment himself. Craving it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't something he was able to come to terms with for a long, long time, and he wasn't so sure how far this moment would go or the time it would last.

Wesker didn't speak. If he did, he knew he'd sound utterly ridiculous doing so.

That red on his face darkened, the faint shade creeping up his neck and in on his face. He'd spent a decent while studying Chris' face. Eyes shifting towards his hand for a second before settling back on the man's face.

He'd nod.

Simple, silent confirmation.

Chris would instantly beam upon receiving confirmation, making contact with the sunglasses and slowly pulling them off to show Wesker's blue eyes. He paused, his hand with the sunglasses suspended in the air. He never expected his captain to have such beautiful eyes.

He was mesmerized, his blush deepening as he placed the glasses on the table, instead cupping his captain's face and gently rubbing his thumb close to the corner of his eye, taking in his face fully for a long moment.

"Whoa, they're beautiful…" he eventually spoke, his voice, although hushed, not wanting the moment to end too soon.

Wesker was fairly hesitant, but he adjusted in no time.

His eyes met Chris' for a lasting minute, gaze softening all over again. The way in which Chris admired him like he was something precious really did make him feel painfully weak, in a good way?

It was hard to explain.

He'd never been fond of being in such a position, but this man made it so unbelievably manageable.

Likeable, dare I say.

He'd glance down to the right, parting his lips to speak—but to no avail. His eyes trailed back up to Chris the moment he heard that compliment.

Him?

His eyes?

Beautiful?

‘‘ Chris… ’’

Wesker muttered, eyes half lidded. Briefly closing whenever Chris would brush his thumb to the corner of his eye so gently.

‘‘ I do not see the appeal that you do .. ’’

It was a wonderful feeling. Knowing that someone else could appreciate him and the parts of him he may hold insecurities about… even if he'd never voice that out loud.

It was so wonderful that it stung some part of him deep inside. It was almost addictive.

He'd never felt so.. cherished.

Chris still gazed at him with a soft, tender expression, his eyes fixed only on Wesker, ignoring everything else but the man in front of him.

He immediately frowned when he heard his captain's words. How could his captain dismiss how beautiful his eyes looked? He could have stared at them for hours if given the chance. His heart melted at the sight of Wesker's half-lidded eyes and how he closed them briefly as well. His thumb gently brushed his face.

"What do you mean? It's the truth!" he huffed, clearly pouting, even as he continued to brush his thumb against the corner of Wesker's eyes. How could he show him that his eyes were the most beautiful thing on earth?

He paused for a moment, then a flicker of an idea sparked in his mind. He fluttered his eyes before shifting his hands away slightly, back to the side of his captain's face, then leaned in and landed soft, gentle kisses on his eyelid. He wasn't even thinking anymore— this man was preoccupying his entire mind!

‘‘ The truth.. ’’

He whispered under his own breath, scoffing in disbelief. Wesker spent his time searching Chris' face for any hint of a sign that he'd be lying. That he was saying all this just because.

However, the light kisses to his eyelids shut that train of thoughts down FAST. He couldn't articulate a proper response—he could barely process what was going on, let alone what he should say or do. This was new to him. Emotional intimacy or anything of that sort wasn't something that he knew very well.

But that didn't matter, did it?

Chris didn't mind. So he didn't find himself questioning it further. Simply.. accepted.

‘‘ Mm.. you are ridiculous. ’’

Betraying his own words, his tone lacked any real bite to it. Rather, it was only a way to fill the silence. Although that wasn't necessarily needed, his own inability to figure out a reaction was gnawing away at him inside and out.

Wesker exhaled a soft sigh, tilting his head down south a tiny bit. Not a major movement, only a small shift. Showing his eyes alone was embarrassing to him.

One of his hands slid back up to cup Chris' own, fingers gently grazing across the back of his hand.

Chris had eventually stopped the soft kisses on the other man's eyelids, his eyes fluttering open while he gazed at the man still so close by him. He hummed softly as his hand was captured by his captain's. He let it stay there for a couple of seconds before shifting his hand to intertwine their hands.

He moved their joined hands closer to himself, planting a kiss on the middle of Wesker's hand and then, grinning like an idiot, he knew his captain struggled with these types of things, so if he had to be the one leading it, so be it, he didn't mind at all! As long as he could give all his love to him.

"I'm not ridiculous! I won't be silenced, I'll speak my truuuthh! " He muttered the last part in a teasing singy-songy voice, his other free hand still gently caressing the side of his captain's face.

Wesker's eyes slowllllyyy lifted to Chris' eyes for what felt like the twentieth time now, after studying his hand for an eternity.

He did nothing but silently watch, returning a decently melancholic gaze.

He couldn't help but wonder about the future ahead of them. How would he process this moment afterwards? What would he say? Do? Everything felt too surreal.

‘‘ I.. believe break has gone overtime. ’’

He'd clear his throat, eyelids fluttering shut as he pondered.

Yet despite the dismissal, it didn't seem like he wanted the moment to end, himself. He only seemed to disappoint himself by making the time known.

He wasn't sure when he'd experience this again.

…Would Chris look at him the same once this time was over?

Was all he thought in his mind, unconsciously leaning back into the man's hand like it was some sort of life support for him.

His actions realllyyy betrayed how much he tried to deny or make sense of this scenario in his head…

He met his gaze with his own soft gaze, peering into those melancholic eyes. He wasn't thinking about anything else but this moment. He didn't say anything more as they both stared at each other.

Although he snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the man speak, his eyebrows raised, he felt disappointed that their time together was ending, turning to look at the clock in the middle of the cafeteria's wall. Then he turned back to Wesker and squeezed his hand.

"Oh man, really? I don't want this to end . . ." he muttered under his breath, his eyes conveying a pleading stare, almost like a puppy's eyes.

He noticed the way his captain had leaned into his hand, batting his eyes before very gently tilting his head and planting another kiss on his forehead. He couldn't help himself! How could a person be this adorable, especially his captain? He just wanted to remove all his worries and fears that he might not show...

Wesker frowned slightly at Chris' pleading stare, taking his time to study his eyes with his own half-lidded ones.

Eventually, that was cut short yet again when the kiss was placed against his forehead, the heat in his face worsening.

With a sigh, he shook his head side to side.

‘‘ I must work, as should you… ’’

A beat of silence passed.

Then, one eye reopened, revealing that tinted blue iris once more.

‘‘ Or, you come to my office. ’’

He'd fall silent like before, letting the offer hang in the air. It wasn't often he invited people to his space… let alone after a scene such as this one.

But truth be told, he wanted it to keep going.

Chris let out a disappointed huff at the reminder of how he had to work. Oh man, can't they stay in this moment forever? He groaned, despite his pouting, he never removed his hand from his captain's face, enjoying the contact between them.

" Psssh, stupid dumb boring woorrrkk…." he mumbled, closing his eyes and sighing dramatically.

Although the disappointment didn't last long, as he heard the offer, he immediately stood up eagerly, and opened his eyes that were now shimmering, making contact with his captain's own beautiful eyes. He definitely wasn't saying no to this, not in a million years!

" Really? Really?? You'd allow me??" he questioned enthusiastically, now beaming with joy.

‘‘ Yes, you… ’’

Wesker hummed, a quiet chuckle slipping from his throat.

‘‘ As long as you do not disrupt me, fully, ’’

Vaguely implying that he would let him, to a degree. As long as he could get something done work wise. He truly did favour Chris and his affection more than he believed, or let on.

Despite his attempt at staying unaffected, which clearly didn't work—he'd bring Chris' hand around front to kiss each of his knuckles and then settle it back upon his own cheek for a few minutes.

Dragging out the lasting moment before bringing their hands back down infront of them both.

‘‘ Well? ’’

An expectant question to receive an answer. So impatient, for someone who claims not to care…!!

#resident evil rp #rp blog #chris redfield #albert wesker #resident evil #chrisker #stars era #stars chris #stars wesker #I LOVE THEM SO MUCH AHHFHGH #THEY ARE SO CUTE IMGONAN BAWL #crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

His face would immediately flush red, his grip on his hands tightening instinctively as he looked to the side and smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to say that at all! Why would he do that! He reached with his spare hand to scratch the back of his neck, although it couldn't fix how hard his heart was pounding.

He sighed and slumped on the table again, moving his free hand from his neck to his face to cover it, grumbling into it. He was clearly extremely embarrassed that it had slipped out.

He slowly gazed upward at his captain, still not letting go of his hand anytime soon, as he grinned, trying to play it cool.

" Haha, Sorry, captain! I—uh, messed up with my words. . ." Definitely, he himself knew that was a lie, but he couldn't admit it, could he?

He eventually noticed the way Wesker was kneading at his shoulder like a cat making biscuits. That image made him let out a fond giggle, his nose crinkling as he laughed.

Wesker raised a brow in suspicion, closely hyper-analysing every miniscule reaction from Chris once again.

How he made his movements, when he made them, how fast he made them .. what movements he ended up doing overall.

Digging deeper into his mind, what every tiny thing could possibly mean or link back to.

He found that handy about himself sometimes. However, it was also a feature about himself he despised, as it only led to further issues or miscalculations in judgement.

His mind had circled around for a decent while. If he didn't know any better, he would've kissed the man in front of him then and there… but his pride and shame got the better of him.

‘‘ Messed up. ’’

He'd repeat under his breath with a soft sigh, shaking his head left to right in disapproval.

‘‘ What time do you usually head out to feed this 'stray' of yours? ’’

A quick, easy subject change. He didn't want to acknowledge how awkward the moment had been just moments prior or how he had responded to the situation alone.

Although he unconsciously tilted his head when the other man broke out into a small fit of giggling. Pure confusion crossing his face.

‘‘ …What's so funny? ’’

His fit of giggles eventually stopped, though he still looked at his captain with that affectionate expression. He gazed at his captain's face. Even though he wasn't an observant person himself, he still noticed the little things about his captain, and those little things made his heartbeat feel even louder.

His attention eventually returned to the man's eyes. He had been momentarily distracted and didn't respond to the question at first, blinking his eyes with confusion before eventually realizing that he had been asked something.

" Oh! Uh— I usually go after I get off work, I pass by the park on my way back home anyway!"

He seemed to still be quite flustered from the earlier fumble he had made, but was slightly thankful for the subject change.

His heart wanted to explode out of his chest when Wesker tilted his head and asked that question. He wanted to hold the man and spin him around!

"Nothing! Nothing… It's just, uh, you sorta looked like a cat doing that. It's cute!" he admitted shamelessly, his eyes sparkling with adoration. He thought for a moment before reaching out and gently placing a hand on his captain's cheek. He had no idea what he was doing himself, but he hoped that he didn't mess up just now.

Wesker gave the smallest nod in response, his eyes softening once again for a couple of passing seconds. He couldn't quite help it. His body certainly betrayed him during these moments.

He'd open his mouth like he had something to say, yet no words came out. So he closed it again.

Thankfully, drastic reactions weren't ever very prominent with Wesker. But the faint red on his face was there no matter what he did, said or thought.

‘‘ Repeat? ’’

He heard what he said, loud and clear.

…But maybe some part of him wanted to hear it again.

Much to his dismay, he leaned into Chris' touch. It wasn't something he got to experience often. Though it was a mental battle to accept any sort of affection as it was, he couldn't pass down this moment.

Chris's heart skipped another beat as he glanced at his captain, who seemed to be leaning into his touch. He was nearly convinced he was seeing things, that he might blink and the entire situation would vanish in an instant.

But as a minute passed by, nothing changed, although he noticed the faint hint of a blush on Wesker's face, which made him even giddier inside. He hesitated when asked to repeat what he had said. He averted his gaze and paused, eventually repeating it in what seemed to be an embarrassed tone.

"I said, it's uh . . . cute!" He stammered, lightly tracing his thumb along Wesker's cheek. He definitely didn't recognize this side of his captain, but he wanted to see it more.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

He'd remain quiet for a long while, eyelids fluttering shut for just a couple of seconds. Savouring the moment as it lasted.

His hand repositioned again, this time to lightly settle on the back of Chris' hand. Holding it where it was, against his face.

Truthfully, he'd never felt so uncharacteristically soft before. The need to be so.. gentle?

Never once had he ever thought in his life that he'd be in a situation such as this one.

And he was.

It killed some part of him to know that one man, his words, and his touch could reduce him to this.

What a sight for sore eyes.

He reopened his eyes to look at Chris. Really look at him, this time. Even if it wasn't very easy to tell what he did with his eyes beyond the black tinted shades of his.

The rest of Wesker was blissfully unaware of how he seemed outside of his perspective. Especially in his point man's eyes.

Without another thought, he'd lean closer. Hand travelling to the side of Chris' face instead as he placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Letting that linger for a few more milliseconds longer before he made the slightest slither of distance between them. Still far too close, but enough so that their lips didn't touch. Wesker was barely processing what he'd just done in his own head…

As though gears were turning on repeat but not ever coming to a conclusion.

He froze in place, his eyes widening in the greatest shock he had ever felt, hands lifting in the air aimlessly. His heart felt like it had almost stopped. He never thought that this would happen in a million years, and yet it was happening right now. He stayed still for a millisecond exactly before immediately melting into the kiss, and fluttering his eyelids closed.

As the kiss ended, he slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. He was speechless, and frankly, he didn't want to ruin the moment. He gently bumped his forehead against Wesker's. He stayed still for a couple of seconds more before leaning in again and returning the soft, gentle kiss.

His mind was running through so many thoughts that it was almost incoherent, but they all landed on one thing, the man in front of him, whom he never wanted to be apart from ever. He pulled away from the kiss ever so slightly and reached out, wanting to remove his captain's glasses to see those beautiful blue eyes, but waiting for a confirmation from him, searching his face.

The smallest smile curled onto his lips the second that Chris reciprocated. Right then and there, nothing else mattered. Nothing else but that man.

The way he looked at him, how carefully he handled him for a reason that even Wesker couldn't name.

There was the slightest hitch in his breathing pattern at first. However, it didn't seem like it took long for him to adjust.

He'd spent so long, far too long, wanting this moment himself. Craving it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't something he was able to come to terms with for a long, long time, and he wasn't so sure how far this moment would go or the time it would last.

Wesker didn't speak. If he did, he knew he'd sound utterly ridiculous doing so.

That red on his face darkened, the faint shade creeping up his neck and in on his face. He'd spent a decent while studying Chris' face. Eyes shifting towards his hand for a second before settling back on the man's face.

He'd nod.

Simple, silent confirmation.

Chris would instantly beam upon receiving confirmation, making contact with the sunglasses and slowly pulling them off to show Wesker's blue eyes. He paused, his hand with the sunglasses suspended in the air. He never expected his captain to have such beautiful eyes.

He was mesmerized, his blush deepening as he placed the glasses on the table, instead cupping his captain's face and gently rubbing his thumb close to the corner of his eye, taking in his face fully for a long moment.

"Whoa, they're beautiful…" he eventually spoke, his voice, although hushed, not wanting the moment to end too soon.

Wesker was fairly hesitant, but he adjusted in no time.

His eyes met Chris' for a lasting minute, gaze softening all over again. The way in which Chris admired him like he was something precious really did make him feel painfully weak, in a good way?

It was hard to explain.

He'd never been fond of being in such a position, but this man made it so unbelievably manageable.

Likeable, dare I say.

He'd glance down to the right, parting his lips to speak—but to no avail. His eyes trailed back up to Chris the moment he heard that compliment.

Him?

His eyes?

Beautiful?

‘‘ Chris… ’’

Wesker muttered, eyes half lidded. Briefly closing whenever Chris would brush his thumb to the corner of his eye so gently.

‘‘ I do not see the appeal that you do .. ’’

It was a wonderful feeling. Knowing that someone else could appreciate him and the parts of him he may hold insecurities about… even if he'd never voice that out loud.

It was so wonderful that it stung some part of him deep inside. It was almost addictive.

He'd never felt so.. cherished.

Chris still gazed at him with a soft, tender expression, his eyes fixed only on Wesker, ignoring everything else but the man in front of him.

He immediately frowned when he heard his captain's words. How could his captain dismiss how beautiful his eyes looked? He could have stared at them for hours if given the chance. His heart melted at the sight of Wesker's half-lidded eyes and how he closed them briefly as well. His thumb gently brushed his face.

"What do you mean? It's the truth!" he huffed, clearly pouting, even as he continued to brush his thumb against the corner of Wesker's eyes. How could he show him that his eyes were the most beautiful thing on earth?

He paused for a moment, then a flicker of an idea sparked in his mind. He fluttered his eyes before shifting his hands away slightly, back to the side of his captain's face, then leaned in and landed soft, gentle kisses on his eyelid. He wasn't even thinking anymore— this man was preoccupying his entire mind!

‘‘ The truth.. ’’

He whispered under his own breath, scoffing in disbelief. Wesker spent his time searching Chris' face for any hint of a sign that he'd be lying. That he was saying all this just because.

However, the light kisses to his eyelids shut that train of thoughts down FAST. He couldn't articulate a proper response—he could barely process what was going on, let alone what he should say or do. This was new to him. Emotional intimacy or anything of that sort wasn't something that he knew very well.

But that didn't matter, did it?

Chris didn't mind. So he didn't find himself questioning it further. Simply.. accepted.

‘‘ Mm.. you are ridiculous. ’’

Betraying his own words, his tone lacked any real bite to it. Rather, it was only a way to fill the silence. Although that wasn't necessarily needed, his own inability to figure out a reaction was gnawing away at him inside and out.

Wesker exhaled a soft sigh, tilting his head down south a tiny bit. Not a major movement, only a small shift. Showing his eyes alone was embarrassing to him.

One of his hands slid back up to cup Chris' own, fingers gently grazing across the back of his hand.

Chris had eventually stopped the soft kisses on the other man's eyelids, his eyes fluttering open while he gazed at the man still so close by him. He hummed softly as his hand was captured by his captain's. He let it stay there for a couple of seconds before shifting his hand to intertwine their hands.

He moved their joined hands closer to himself, planting a kiss on the middle of Wesker's hand and then, grinning like an idiot, he knew his captain struggled with these types of things, so if he had to be the one leading it, so be it, he didn't mind at all! As long as he could give all his love to him.

"I'm not ridiculous! I won't be silenced, I'll speak my truuuthh! " He muttered the last part in a teasing singy-songy voice, his other free hand still gently caressing the side of his captain's face.

Wesker's eyes slowllllyyy lifted to Chris' eyes for what felt like the twentieth time now, after studying his hand for an eternity.

He did nothing but silently watch, returning a decently melancholic gaze.

He couldn't help but wonder about the future ahead of them. How would he process this moment afterwards? What would he say? Do? Everything felt too surreal.

‘‘ I.. believe break has gone overtime. ’’

He'd clear his throat, eyelids fluttering shut as he pondered.

Yet despite the dismissal, it didn't seem like he wanted the moment to end, himself. He only seemed to disappoint himself by making the time known.

He wasn't sure when he'd experience this again.

…Would Chris look at him the same once this time was over?

Was all he thought in his mind, unconsciously leaning back into the man's hand like it was some sort of life support for him.

His actions realllyyy betrayed how much he tried to deny or make sense of this scenario in his head…

He met his gaze with his own soft gaze, peering into those melancholic eyes. He wasn't thinking about anything else but this moment. He didn't say anything more as they both stared at each other.

Although he snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the man speak, his eyebrows raised, he felt disappointed that their time together was ending, turning to look at the clock in the middle of the cafeteria's wall. Then he turned back to Wesker and squeezed his hand.

"Oh man, really? I don't want this to end . . ." he muttered under his breath, his eyes conveying a pleading stare, almost like a puppy's eyes.

He noticed the way his captain had leaned into his hand, batting his eyes before very gently tilting his head and planting another kiss on his forehead. He couldn't help himself! How could a person be this adorable, especially his captain? He just wanted to remove all his worries and fears that he might not show...

Wesker frowned slightly at Chris' pleading stare, taking his time to study his eyes with his own half-lidded ones.

Eventually, that was cut short yet again when the kiss was placed against his forehead, the heat in his face worsening.

With a sigh, he shook his head side to side.

‘‘ I must work, as should you… ’’

A beat of silence passed.

Then, one eye reopened, revealing that tinted blue iris once more.

‘‘ Or, you come to my office. ’’

He'd fall silent like before, letting the offer hang in the air. It wasn't often he invited people to his space… let alone after a scene such as this one.

But truth be told, he wanted it to keep going.

#resident evil rp #rp blog #chris redfield #albert wesker #chrisker #resident evil #stars era #stars chris #stars wesker #NOOWORRIEE HWWJSHHW ME TOO #CHRISSJSJS he lovesth3 kisses trhst me #he's not being professional AT ALL!!!! THIS LOSER!!!!#crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

His face would immediately flush red, his grip on his hands tightening instinctively as he looked to the side and smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to say that at all! Why would he do that! He reached with his spare hand to scratch the back of his neck, although it couldn't fix how hard his heart was pounding.

He sighed and slumped on the table again, moving his free hand from his neck to his face to cover it, grumbling into it. He was clearly extremely embarrassed that it had slipped out.

He slowly gazed upward at his captain, still not letting go of his hand anytime soon, as he grinned, trying to play it cool.

" Haha, Sorry, captain! I—uh, messed up with my words. . ." Definitely, he himself knew that was a lie, but he couldn't admit it, could he?

He eventually noticed the way Wesker was kneading at his shoulder like a cat making biscuits. That image made him let out a fond giggle, his nose crinkling as he laughed.

Wesker raised a brow in suspicion, closely hyper-analysing every miniscule reaction from Chris once again.

How he made his movements, when he made them, how fast he made them .. what movements he ended up doing overall.

Digging deeper into his mind, what every tiny thing could possibly mean or link back to.

He found that handy about himself sometimes. However, it was also a feature about himself he despised, as it only led to further issues or miscalculations in judgement.

His mind had circled around for a decent while. If he didn't know any better, he would've kissed the man in front of him then and there… but his pride and shame got the better of him.

‘‘ Messed up. ’’

He'd repeat under his breath with a soft sigh, shaking his head left to right in disapproval.

‘‘ What time do you usually head out to feed this 'stray' of yours? ’’

A quick, easy subject change. He didn't want to acknowledge how awkward the moment had been just moments prior or how he had responded to the situation alone.

Although he unconsciously tilted his head when the other man broke out into a small fit of giggling. Pure confusion crossing his face.

‘‘ …What's so funny? ’’

His fit of giggles eventually stopped, though he still looked at his captain with that affectionate expression. He gazed at his captain's face. Even though he wasn't an observant person himself, he still noticed the little things about his captain, and those little things made his heartbeat feel even louder.

His attention eventually returned to the man's eyes. He had been momentarily distracted and didn't respond to the question at first, blinking his eyes with confusion before eventually realizing that he had been asked something.

" Oh! Uh— I usually go after I get off work, I pass by the park on my way back home anyway!"

He seemed to still be quite flustered from the earlier fumble he had made, but was slightly thankful for the subject change.

His heart wanted to explode out of his chest when Wesker tilted his head and asked that question. He wanted to hold the man and spin him around!

"Nothing! Nothing… It's just, uh, you sorta looked like a cat doing that. It's cute!" he admitted shamelessly, his eyes sparkling with adoration. He thought for a moment before reaching out and gently placing a hand on his captain's cheek. He had no idea what he was doing himself, but he hoped that he didn't mess up just now.

Wesker gave the smallest nod in response, his eyes softening once again for a couple of passing seconds. He couldn't quite help it. His body certainly betrayed him during these moments.

He'd open his mouth like he had something to say, yet no words came out. So he closed it again.

Thankfully, drastic reactions weren't ever very prominent with Wesker. But the faint red on his face was there no matter what he did, said or thought.

‘‘ Repeat? ’’

He heard what he said, loud and clear.

…But maybe some part of him wanted to hear it again.

Much to his dismay, he leaned into Chris' touch. It wasn't something he got to experience often. Though it was a mental battle to accept any sort of affection as it was, he couldn't pass down this moment.

Chris's heart skipped another beat as he glanced at his captain, who seemed to be leaning into his touch. He was nearly convinced he was seeing things, that he might blink and the entire situation would vanish in an instant.

But as a minute passed by, nothing changed, although he noticed the faint hint of a blush on Wesker's face, which made him even giddier inside. He hesitated when asked to repeat what he had said. He averted his gaze and paused, eventually repeating it in what seemed to be an embarrassed tone.

"I said, it's uh . . . cute!" He stammered, lightly tracing his thumb along Wesker's cheek. He definitely didn't recognize this side of his captain, but he wanted to see it more.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

He'd remain quiet for a long while, eyelids fluttering shut for just a couple of seconds. Savouring the moment as it lasted.

His hand repositioned again, this time to lightly settle on the back of Chris' hand. Holding it where it was, against his face.

Truthfully, he'd never felt so uncharacteristically soft before. The need to be so.. gentle?

Never once had he ever thought in his life that he'd be in a situation such as this one.

And he was.

It killed some part of him to know that one man, his words, and his touch could reduce him to this.

What a sight for sore eyes.

He reopened his eyes to look at Chris. Really look at him, this time. Even if it wasn't very easy to tell what he did with his eyes beyond the black tinted shades of his.

The rest of Wesker was blissfully unaware of how he seemed outside of his perspective. Especially in his point man's eyes.

Without another thought, he'd lean closer. Hand travelling to the side of Chris' face instead as he placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Letting that linger for a few more milliseconds longer before he made the slightest slither of distance between them. Still far too close, but enough so that their lips didn't touch. Wesker was barely processing what he'd just done in his own head…

As though gears were turning on repeat but not ever coming to a conclusion.

He froze in place, his eyes widening in the greatest shock he had ever felt, hands lifting in the air aimlessly. His heart felt like it had almost stopped. He never thought that this would happen in a million years, and yet it was happening right now. He stayed still for a millisecond exactly before immediately melting into the kiss, and fluttering his eyelids closed.

As the kiss ended, he slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. He was speechless, and frankly, he didn't want to ruin the moment. He gently bumped his forehead against Wesker's. He stayed still for a couple of seconds more before leaning in again and returning the soft, gentle kiss.

His mind was running through so many thoughts that it was almost incoherent, but they all landed on one thing, the man in front of him, whom he never wanted to be apart from ever. He pulled away from the kiss ever so slightly and reached out, wanting to remove his captain's glasses to see those beautiful blue eyes, but waiting for a confirmation from him, searching his face.

The smallest smile curled onto his lips the second that Chris reciprocated. Right then and there, nothing else mattered. Nothing else but that man.

The way he looked at him, how carefully he handled him for a reason that even Wesker couldn't name.

There was the slightest hitch in his breathing pattern at first. However, it didn't seem like it took long for him to adjust.

He'd spent so long, far too long, wanting this moment himself. Craving it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't something he was able to come to terms with for a long, long time, and he wasn't so sure how far this moment would go or the time it would last.

Wesker didn't speak. If he did, he knew he'd sound utterly ridiculous doing so.

That red on his face darkened, the faint shade creeping up his neck and in on his face. He'd spent a decent while studying Chris' face. Eyes shifting towards his hand for a second before settling back on the man's face.

He'd nod.

Simple, silent confirmation.

Chris would instantly beam upon receiving confirmation, making contact with the sunglasses and slowly pulling them off to show Wesker's blue eyes. He paused, his hand with the sunglasses suspended in the air. He never expected his captain to have such beautiful eyes.

He was mesmerized, his blush deepening as he placed the glasses on the table, instead cupping his captain's face and gently rubbing his thumb close to the corner of his eye, taking in his face fully for a long moment.

"Whoa, they're beautiful…" he eventually spoke, his voice, although hushed, not wanting the moment to end too soon.

Wesker was fairly hesitant, but he adjusted in no time.

His eyes met Chris' for a lasting minute, gaze softening all over again. The way in which Chris admired him like he was something precious really did make him feel painfully weak, in a good way?

It was hard to explain.

He'd never been fond of being in such a position, but this man made it so unbelievably manageable.

Likeable, dare I say.

He'd glance down to the right, parting his lips to speak—but to no avail. His eyes trailed back up to Chris the moment he heard that compliment.

Him?

His eyes?

Beautiful?

‘‘ Chris… ’’

Wesker muttered, eyes half lidded. Briefly closing whenever Chris would brush his thumb to the corner of his eye so gently.

‘‘ I do not see the appeal that you do .. ’’

It was a wonderful feeling. Knowing that someone else could appreciate him and the parts of him he may hold insecurities about… even if he'd never voice that out loud.

It was so wonderful that it stung some part of him deep inside. It was almost addictive.

He'd never felt so.. cherished.

Chris still gazed at him with a soft, tender expression, his eyes fixed only on Wesker, ignoring everything else but the man in front of him.

He immediately frowned when he heard his captain's words. How could his captain dismiss how beautiful his eyes looked? He could have stared at them for hours if given the chance. His heart melted at the sight of Wesker's half-lidded eyes and how he closed them briefly as well. His thumb gently brushed his face.

"What do you mean? It's the truth!" he huffed, clearly pouting, even as he continued to brush his thumb against the corner of Wesker's eyes. How could he show him that his eyes were the most beautiful thing on earth?

He paused for a moment, then a flicker of an idea sparked in his mind. He fluttered his eyes before shifting his hands away slightly, back to the side of his captain's face, then leaned in and landed soft, gentle kisses on his eyelid. He wasn't even thinking anymore— this man was preoccupying his entire mind!

‘‘ The truth.. ’’

He whispered under his own breath, scoffing in disbelief. Wesker spent his time searching Chris' face for any hint of a sign that he'd be lying. That he was saying all this just because.

However, the light kisses to his eyelids shut that train of thoughts down FAST. He couldn't articulate a proper response—he could barely process what was going on, let alone what he should say or do. This was new to him. Emotional intimacy or anything of that sort wasn't something that he knew very well.

But that didn't matter, did it?

Chris didn't mind. So he didn't find himself questioning it further. Simply.. accepted.

‘‘ Mm.. you are ridiculous. ’’

Betraying his own words, his tone lacked any real bite to it. Rather, it was only a way to fill the silence. Although that wasn't necessarily needed, his own inability to figure out a reaction was gnawing away at him inside and out.

Wesker exhaled a soft sigh, tilting his head down south a tiny bit. Not a major movement, only a small shift. Showing his eyes alone was embarrassing to him.

One of his hands slid back up to cup Chris' own, fingers gently grazing across the back of his hand.

Chris had eventually stopped the soft kisses on the other man's eyelids, his eyes fluttering open while he gazed at the man still so close by him. He hummed softly as his hand was captured by his captain's. He let it stay there for a couple of seconds before shifting his hand to intertwine their hands.

He moved their joined hands closer to himself, planting a kiss on the middle of Wesker's hand and then, grinning like an idiot, he knew his captain struggled with these types of things, so if he had to be the one leading it, so be it, he didn't mind at all! As long as he could give all his love to him.

"I'm not ridiculous! I won't be silenced, I'll speak my truuuthh! " He muttered the last part in a teasing singy-songy voice, his other free hand still gently caressing the side of his captain's face.

Wesker's eyes slowllllyyy lifted to Chris' eyes for what felt like the twentieth time now, after studying his hand for an eternity.

He did nothing but silently watch, returning a decently melancholic gaze.

He couldn't help but wonder about the future ahead of them. How would he process this moment afterwards? What would he say? Do? Everything felt too surreal.

‘‘ I.. believe break has gone overtime. ’’

He'd clear his throat, eyelids fluttering shut as he pondered.

Yet despite the dismissal, it didn't seem like he wanted the moment to end, himself. He only seemed to disappoint himself by making the time known.

He wasn't sure when he'd experience this again.

…Would Chris look at him the same once this time was over?

Was all he thought in his mind, unconsciously leaning back into the man's hand like it was some sort of life support for him.

His actions realllyyy betrayed how much he tried to deny or make sense of this scenario in his head…

#resident evil rp #rp blog #chris redfield #albert wesker #chrisker #resident evil #stars era #stars chris #stars wesker #ITS OK NO WORRIES!! IHOPE YOU SLEPT WELL HAJSHS #YEAAHHW ICLOVE THAT SOBG #wesker DOESN'T want to move anywhere at all he wants to stay right where he is............#but he wants to keep his professional demeanour or what scraps he has left of it (whilst failing miserably)#he's so smitten ohhfgg #CHRIS ILY #crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

His face would immediately flush red, his grip on his hands tightening instinctively as he looked to the side and smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to say that at all! Why would he do that! He reached with his spare hand to scratch the back of his neck, although it couldn't fix how hard his heart was pounding.

He sighed and slumped on the table again, moving his free hand from his neck to his face to cover it, grumbling into it. He was clearly extremely embarrassed that it had slipped out.

He slowly gazed upward at his captain, still not letting go of his hand anytime soon, as he grinned, trying to play it cool.

" Haha, Sorry, captain! I—uh, messed up with my words. . ." Definitely, he himself knew that was a lie, but he couldn't admit it, could he?

He eventually noticed the way Wesker was kneading at his shoulder like a cat making biscuits. That image made him let out a fond giggle, his nose crinkling as he laughed.

Wesker raised a brow in suspicion, closely hyper-analysing every miniscule reaction from Chris once again.

How he made his movements, when he made them, how fast he made them .. what movements he ended up doing overall.

Digging deeper into his mind, what every tiny thing could possibly mean or link back to.

He found that handy about himself sometimes. However, it was also a feature about himself he despised, as it only led to further issues or miscalculations in judgement.

His mind had circled around for a decent while. If he didn't know any better, he would've kissed the man in front of him then and there… but his pride and shame got the better of him.

‘‘ Messed up. ’’

He'd repeat under his breath with a soft sigh, shaking his head left to right in disapproval.

‘‘ What time do you usually head out to feed this 'stray' of yours? ’’

A quick, easy subject change. He didn't want to acknowledge how awkward the moment had been just moments prior or how he had responded to the situation alone.

Although he unconsciously tilted his head when the other man broke out into a small fit of giggling. Pure confusion crossing his face.

‘‘ …What's so funny? ’’

His fit of giggles eventually stopped, though he still looked at his captain with that affectionate expression. He gazed at his captain's face. Even though he wasn't an observant person himself, he still noticed the little things about his captain, and those little things made his heartbeat feel even louder.

His attention eventually returned to the man's eyes. He had been momentarily distracted and didn't respond to the question at first, blinking his eyes with confusion before eventually realizing that he had been asked something.

" Oh! Uh— I usually go after I get off work, I pass by the park on my way back home anyway!"

He seemed to still be quite flustered from the earlier fumble he had made, but was slightly thankful for the subject change.

His heart wanted to explode out of his chest when Wesker tilted his head and asked that question. He wanted to hold the man and spin him around!

"Nothing! Nothing… It's just, uh, you sorta looked like a cat doing that. It's cute!" he admitted shamelessly, his eyes sparkling with adoration. He thought for a moment before reaching out and gently placing a hand on his captain's cheek. He had no idea what he was doing himself, but he hoped that he didn't mess up just now.

Wesker gave the smallest nod in response, his eyes softening once again for a couple of passing seconds. He couldn't quite help it. His body certainly betrayed him during these moments.

He'd open his mouth like he had something to say, yet no words came out. So he closed it again.

Thankfully, drastic reactions weren't ever very prominent with Wesker. But the faint red on his face was there no matter what he did, said or thought.

‘‘ Repeat? ’’

He heard what he said, loud and clear.

…But maybe some part of him wanted to hear it again.

Much to his dismay, he leaned into Chris' touch. It wasn't something he got to experience often. Though it was a mental battle to accept any sort of affection as it was, he couldn't pass down this moment.

Chris's heart skipped another beat as he glanced at his captain, who seemed to be leaning into his touch. He was nearly convinced he was seeing things, that he might blink and the entire situation would vanish in an instant.

But as a minute passed by, nothing changed, although he noticed the faint hint of a blush on Wesker's face, which made him even giddier inside. He hesitated when asked to repeat what he had said. He averted his gaze and paused, eventually repeating it in what seemed to be an embarrassed tone.

"I said, it's uh . . . cute!" He stammered, lightly tracing his thumb along Wesker's cheek. He definitely didn't recognize this side of his captain, but he wanted to see it more.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

He'd remain quiet for a long while, eyelids fluttering shut for just a couple of seconds. Savouring the moment as it lasted.

His hand repositioned again, this time to lightly settle on the back of Chris' hand. Holding it where it was, against his face.

Truthfully, he'd never felt so uncharacteristically soft before. The need to be so.. gentle?

Never once had he ever thought in his life that he'd be in a situation such as this one.

And he was.

It killed some part of him to know that one man, his words, and his touch could reduce him to this.

What a sight for sore eyes.

He reopened his eyes to look at Chris. Really look at him, this time. Even if it wasn't very easy to tell what he did with his eyes beyond the black tinted shades of his.

The rest of Wesker was blissfully unaware of how he seemed outside of his perspective. Especially in his point man's eyes.

Without another thought, he'd lean closer. Hand travelling to the side of Chris' face instead as he placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Letting that linger for a few more milliseconds longer before he made the slightest slither of distance between them. Still far too close, but enough so that their lips didn't touch. Wesker was barely processing what he'd just done in his own head…

As though gears were turning on repeat but not ever coming to a conclusion.

He froze in place, his eyes widening in the greatest shock he had ever felt, hands lifting in the air aimlessly. His heart felt like it had almost stopped. He never thought that this would happen in a million years, and yet it was happening right now. He stayed still for a millisecond exactly before immediately melting into the kiss, and fluttering his eyelids closed.

As the kiss ended, he slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. He was speechless, and frankly, he didn't want to ruin the moment. He gently bumped his forehead against Wesker's. He stayed still for a couple of seconds more before leaning in again and returning the soft, gentle kiss.

His mind was running through so many thoughts that it was almost incoherent, but they all landed on one thing, the man in front of him, whom he never wanted to be apart from ever. He pulled away from the kiss ever so slightly and reached out, wanting to remove his captain's glasses to see those beautiful blue eyes, but waiting for a confirmation from him, searching his face.

The smallest smile curled onto his lips the second that Chris reciprocated. Right then and there, nothing else mattered. Nothing else but that man.

The way he looked at him, how carefully he handled him for a reason that even Wesker couldn't name.

There was the slightest hitch in his breathing pattern at first. However, it didn't seem like it took long for him to adjust.

He'd spent so long, far too long, wanting this moment himself. Craving it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't something he was able to come to terms with for a long, long time, and he wasn't so sure how far this moment would go or the time it would last.

Wesker didn't speak. If he did, he knew he'd sound utterly ridiculous doing so.

That red on his face darkened, the faint shade creeping up his neck and in on his face. He'd spent a decent while studying Chris' face. Eyes shifting towards his hand for a second before settling back on the man's face.

He'd nod.

Simple, silent confirmation.

Chris would instantly beam upon receiving confirmation, making contact with the sunglasses and slowly pulling them off to show Wesker's blue eyes. He paused, his hand with the sunglasses suspended in the air. He never expected his captain to have such beautiful eyes.

He was mesmerized, his blush deepening as he placed the glasses on the table, instead cupping his captain's face and gently rubbing his thumb close to the corner of his eye, taking in his face fully for a long moment.

"Whoa, they're beautiful…" he eventually spoke, his voice, although hushed, not wanting the moment to end too soon.

Wesker was fairly hesitant, but he adjusted in no time.

His eyes met Chris' for a lasting minute, gaze softening all over again. The way in which Chris admired him like he was something precious really did make him feel painfully weak, in a good way?

It was hard to explain.

He'd never been fond of being in such a position, but this man made it so unbelievably manageable.

Likeable, dare I say.

He'd glance down to the right, parting his lips to speak—but to no avail. His eyes trailed back up to Chris the moment he heard that compliment.

Him?

His eyes?

Beautiful?

‘‘ Chris… ’’

Wesker muttered, eyes half lidded. Briefly closing whenever Chris would brush his thumb to the corner of his eye so gently.

‘‘ I do not see the appeal that you do .. ’’

It was a wonderful feeling. Knowing that someone else could appreciate him and the parts of him he may hold insecurities about… even if he'd never voice that out loud.

It was so wonderful that it stung some part of him deep inside. It was almost addictive.

He'd never felt so.. cherished.

Chris still gazed at him with a soft, tender expression, his eyes fixed only on Wesker, ignoring everything else but the man in front of him.

He immediately frowned when he heard his captain's words. How could his captain dismiss how beautiful his eyes looked? He could have stared at them for hours if given the chance. His heart melted at the sight of Wesker's half-lidded eyes and how he closed them briefly as well. His thumb gently brushed his face.

"What do you mean? It's the truth!" he huffed, clearly pouting, even as he continued to brush his thumb against the corner of Wesker's eyes. How could he show him that his eyes were the most beautiful thing on earth?

He paused for a moment, then a flicker of an idea sparked in his mind. He fluttered his eyes before shifting his hands away slightly, back to the side of his captain's face, then leaned in and landed soft, gentle kisses on his eyelid. He wasn't even thinking anymore— this man was preoccupying his entire mind!

‘‘ The truth.. ’’

He whispered under his own breath, scoffing in disbelief. Wesker spent his time searching Chris' face for any hint of a sign that he'd be lying. That he was saying all this just because.

However, the light kisses to his eyelids shut that train of thoughts down FAST. He couldn't articulate a proper response—he could barely process what was going on, let alone what he should say or do. This was new to him. Emotional intimacy or anything of that sort wasn't something that he knew very well.

But that didn't matter, did it?

Chris didn't mind. So he didn't find himself questioning it further. Simply.. accepted.

‘‘ Mm.. you are ridiculous. ’’

Betraying his own words, his tone lacked any real bite to it. Rather, it was only a way to fill the silence. Although that wasn't necessarily needed, his own inability to figure out a reaction was gnawing away at him inside and out.

Wesker exhaled a soft sigh, tilting his head down south a tiny bit. Not a major movement, only a small shift. Showing his eyes alone was embarrassing to him.

One of his hands slid back up to cup Chris' own, fingers gently grazing across the back of his hand.

#resident evil rp #rp blog #chris redfield #albert wesker #chrisker #resident evil #stars era #stars chris #stars wesker #HSSGAHHW I LOVETHEMBSO MUCH!!!! OK!!!!! NODSNODS #wesker struggles so badly to accept it but he's trying 😕 he really likes it #break ur bones and one day we'll get married.. /ref #TRYST THEY GOT MARRJED #crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

His face would immediately flush red, his grip on his hands tightening instinctively as he looked to the side and smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to say that at all! Why would he do that! He reached with his spare hand to scratch the back of his neck, although it couldn't fix how hard his heart was pounding.

He sighed and slumped on the table again, moving his free hand from his neck to his face to cover it, grumbling into it. He was clearly extremely embarrassed that it had slipped out.

He slowly gazed upward at his captain, still not letting go of his hand anytime soon, as he grinned, trying to play it cool.

" Haha, Sorry, captain! I—uh, messed up with my words. . ." Definitely, he himself knew that was a lie, but he couldn't admit it, could he?

He eventually noticed the way Wesker was kneading at his shoulder like a cat making biscuits. That image made him let out a fond giggle, his nose crinkling as he laughed.

Wesker raised a brow in suspicion, closely hyper-analysing every miniscule reaction from Chris once again.

How he made his movements, when he made them, how fast he made them .. what movements he ended up doing overall.

Digging deeper into his mind, what every tiny thing could possibly mean or link back to.

He found that handy about himself sometimes. However, it was also a feature about himself he despised, as it only led to further issues or miscalculations in judgement.

His mind had circled around for a decent while. If he didn't know any better, he would've kissed the man in front of him then and there… but his pride and shame got the better of him.

‘‘ Messed up. ’’

He'd repeat under his breath with a soft sigh, shaking his head left to right in disapproval.

‘‘ What time do you usually head out to feed this 'stray' of yours? ’’

A quick, easy subject change. He didn't want to acknowledge how awkward the moment had been just moments prior or how he had responded to the situation alone.

Although he unconsciously tilted his head when the other man broke out into a small fit of giggling. Pure confusion crossing his face.

‘‘ …What's so funny? ’’

His fit of giggles eventually stopped, though he still looked at his captain with that affectionate expression. He gazed at his captain's face. Even though he wasn't an observant person himself, he still noticed the little things about his captain, and those little things made his heartbeat feel even louder.

His attention eventually returned to the man's eyes. He had been momentarily distracted and didn't respond to the question at first, blinking his eyes with confusion before eventually realizing that he had been asked something.

" Oh! Uh— I usually go after I get off work, I pass by the park on my way back home anyway!"

He seemed to still be quite flustered from the earlier fumble he had made, but was slightly thankful for the subject change.

His heart wanted to explode out of his chest when Wesker tilted his head and asked that question. He wanted to hold the man and spin him around!

"Nothing! Nothing… It's just, uh, you sorta looked like a cat doing that. It's cute!" he admitted shamelessly, his eyes sparkling with adoration. He thought for a moment before reaching out and gently placing a hand on his captain's cheek. He had no idea what he was doing himself, but he hoped that he didn't mess up just now.

Wesker gave the smallest nod in response, his eyes softening once again for a couple of passing seconds. He couldn't quite help it. His body certainly betrayed him during these moments.

He'd open his mouth like he had something to say, yet no words came out. So he closed it again.

Thankfully, drastic reactions weren't ever very prominent with Wesker. But the faint red on his face was there no matter what he did, said or thought.

‘‘ Repeat? ’’

He heard what he said, loud and clear.

…But maybe some part of him wanted to hear it again.

Much to his dismay, he leaned into Chris' touch. It wasn't something he got to experience often. Though it was a mental battle to accept any sort of affection as it was, he couldn't pass down this moment.

Chris's heart skipped another beat as he glanced at his captain, who seemed to be leaning into his touch. He was nearly convinced he was seeing things, that he might blink and the entire situation would vanish in an instant.

But as a minute passed by, nothing changed, although he noticed the faint hint of a blush on Wesker's face, which made him even giddier inside. He hesitated when asked to repeat what he had said. He averted his gaze and paused, eventually repeating it in what seemed to be an embarrassed tone.

"I said, it's uh . . . cute!" He stammered, lightly tracing his thumb along Wesker's cheek. He definitely didn't recognize this side of his captain, but he wanted to see it more.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

He'd remain quiet for a long while, eyelids fluttering shut for just a couple of seconds. Savouring the moment as it lasted.

His hand repositioned again, this time to lightly settle on the back of Chris' hand. Holding it where it was, against his face.

Truthfully, he'd never felt so uncharacteristically soft before. The need to be so.. gentle?

Never once had he ever thought in his life that he'd be in a situation such as this one.

And he was.

It killed some part of him to know that one man, his words, and his touch could reduce him to this.

What a sight for sore eyes.

He reopened his eyes to look at Chris. Really look at him, this time. Even if it wasn't very easy to tell what he did with his eyes beyond the black tinted shades of his.

The rest of Wesker was blissfully unaware of how he seemed outside of his perspective. Especially in his point man's eyes.

Without another thought, he'd lean closer. Hand travelling to the side of Chris' face instead as he placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Letting that linger for a few more milliseconds longer before he made the slightest slither of distance between them. Still far too close, but enough so that their lips didn't touch. Wesker was barely processing what he'd just done in his own head…

As though gears were turning on repeat but not ever coming to a conclusion.

He froze in place, his eyes widening in the greatest shock he had ever felt, hands lifting in the air aimlessly. His heart felt like it had almost stopped. He never thought that this would happen in a million years, and yet it was happening right now. He stayed still for a millisecond exactly before immediately melting into the kiss, and fluttering his eyelids closed.

As the kiss ended, he slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. He was speechless, and frankly, he didn't want to ruin the moment. He gently bumped his forehead against Wesker's. He stayed still for a couple of seconds more before leaning in again and returning the soft, gentle kiss.

His mind was running through so many thoughts that it was almost incoherent, but they all landed on one thing, the man in front of him, whom he never wanted to be apart from ever. He pulled away from the kiss ever so slightly and reached out, wanting to remove his captain's glasses to see those beautiful blue eyes, but waiting for a confirmation from him, searching his face.

The smallest smile curled onto his lips the second that Chris reciprocated. Right then and there, nothing else mattered. Nothing else but that man.

The way he looked at him, how carefully he handled him for a reason that even Wesker couldn't name.

There was the slightest hitch in his breathing pattern at first. However, it didn't seem like it took long for him to adjust.

He'd spent so long, far too long, wanting this moment himself. Craving it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't something he was able to come to terms with for a long, long time, and he wasn't so sure how far this moment would go or the time it would last.

Wesker didn't speak. If he did, he knew he'd sound utterly ridiculous doing so.

That red on his face darkened, the faint shade creeping up his neck and in on his face. He'd spent a decent while studying Chris' face. Eyes shifting towards his hand for a second before settling back on the man's face.

He'd nod.

Simple, silent confirmation.

Chris would instantly beam upon receiving confirmation, making contact with the sunglasses and slowly pulling them off to show Wesker's blue eyes. He paused, his hand with the sunglasses suspended in the air. He never expected his captain to have such beautiful eyes.

He was mesmerized, his blush deepening as he placed the glasses on the table, instead cupping his captain's face and gently rubbing his thumb close to the corner of his eye, taking in his face fully for a long moment.

"Whoa, they're beautiful…" he eventually spoke, his voice, although hushed, not wanting the moment to end too soon.

Wesker was fairly hesitant, but he adjusted in no time.

His eyes met Chris' for a lasting minute, gaze softening all over again. The way in which Chris admired him like he was something precious really did make him feel painfully weak, in a good way?

It was hard to explain.

He'd never been fond of being in such a position, but this man made it so unbelievably manageable.

Likeable, dare I say.

He'd glance down to the right, parting his lips to speak—but to no avail. His eyes trailed back up to Chris the moment he heard that compliment.

Him?

His eyes?

Beautiful?

‘‘ Chris… ’’

Wesker muttered, eyes half lidded. Briefly closing whenever Chris would brush his thumb to the corner of his eye so gently.

‘‘ I do not see the appeal that you do .. ’’

It was a wonderful feeling. Knowing that someone else could appreciate him and the parts of him he may hold insecurities about… even if he'd never voice that out loud.

It was so wonderful that it stung some part of him deep inside. It was almost addictive.

He'd never felt so.. cherished.

#resident evil rp #rp blog #chris redfield #albert wesker #chrisker #resident evil #stars era #stars chris #stars wesker #THEY MAKE ME ILL. OHMY GOD JAHSHFHGNG I LOVE THEMSO MUCH ILVORTHEM SO MCUB GUYS LLEASE #SNIFFLES SNIGFLES SOBS #trust me theu kive happily ever after ISWWAAR #crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

His face would immediately flush red, his grip on his hands tightening instinctively as he looked to the side and smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to say that at all! Why would he do that! He reached with his spare hand to scratch the back of his neck, although it couldn't fix how hard his heart was pounding.

He sighed and slumped on the table again, moving his free hand from his neck to his face to cover it, grumbling into it. He was clearly extremely embarrassed that it had slipped out.

He slowly gazed upward at his captain, still not letting go of his hand anytime soon, as he grinned, trying to play it cool.

" Haha, Sorry, captain! I—uh, messed up with my words. . ." Definitely, he himself knew that was a lie, but he couldn't admit it, could he?

He eventually noticed the way Wesker was kneading at his shoulder like a cat making biscuits. That image made him let out a fond giggle, his nose crinkling as he laughed.

Wesker raised a brow in suspicion, closely hyper-analysing every miniscule reaction from Chris once again.

How he made his movements, when he made them, how fast he made them .. what movements he ended up doing overall.

Digging deeper into his mind, what every tiny thing could possibly mean or link back to.

He found that handy about himself sometimes. However, it was also a feature about himself he despised, as it only led to further issues or miscalculations in judgement.

His mind had circled around for a decent while. If he didn't know any better, he would've kissed the man in front of him then and there… but his pride and shame got the better of him.

‘‘ Messed up. ’’

He'd repeat under his breath with a soft sigh, shaking his head left to right in disapproval.

‘‘ What time do you usually head out to feed this 'stray' of yours? ’’

A quick, easy subject change. He didn't want to acknowledge how awkward the moment had been just moments prior or how he had responded to the situation alone.

Although he unconsciously tilted his head when the other man broke out into a small fit of giggling. Pure confusion crossing his face.

‘‘ …What's so funny? ’’

His fit of giggles eventually stopped, though he still looked at his captain with that affectionate expression. He gazed at his captain's face. Even though he wasn't an observant person himself, he still noticed the little things about his captain, and those little things made his heartbeat feel even louder.

His attention eventually returned to the man's eyes. He had been momentarily distracted and didn't respond to the question at first, blinking his eyes with confusion before eventually realizing that he had been asked something.

" Oh! Uh— I usually go after I get off work, I pass by the park on my way back home anyway!"

He seemed to still be quite flustered from the earlier fumble he had made, but was slightly thankful for the subject change.

His heart wanted to explode out of his chest when Wesker tilted his head and asked that question. He wanted to hold the man and spin him around!

"Nothing! Nothing… It's just, uh, you sorta looked like a cat doing that. It's cute!" he admitted shamelessly, his eyes sparkling with adoration. He thought for a moment before reaching out and gently placing a hand on his captain's cheek. He had no idea what he was doing himself, but he hoped that he didn't mess up just now.

Wesker gave the smallest nod in response, his eyes softening once again for a couple of passing seconds. He couldn't quite help it. His body certainly betrayed him during these moments.

He'd open his mouth like he had something to say, yet no words came out. So he closed it again.

Thankfully, drastic reactions weren't ever very prominent with Wesker. But the faint red on his face was there no matter what he did, said or thought.

‘‘ Repeat? ’’

He heard what he said, loud and clear.

…But maybe some part of him wanted to hear it again.

Much to his dismay, he leaned into Chris' touch. It wasn't something he got to experience often. Though it was a mental battle to accept any sort of affection as it was, he couldn't pass down this moment.

Chris's heart skipped another beat as he glanced at his captain, who seemed to be leaning into his touch. He was nearly convinced he was seeing things, that he might blink and the entire situation would vanish in an instant.

But as a minute passed by, nothing changed, although he noticed the faint hint of a blush on Wesker's face, which made him even giddier inside. He hesitated when asked to repeat what he had said. He averted his gaze and paused, eventually repeating it in what seemed to be an embarrassed tone.

"I said, it's uh . . . cute!" He stammered, lightly tracing his thumb along Wesker's cheek. He definitely didn't recognize this side of his captain, but he wanted to see it more.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

He'd remain quiet for a long while, eyelids fluttering shut for just a couple of seconds. Savouring the moment as it lasted.

His hand repositioned again, this time to lightly settle on the back of Chris' hand. Holding it where it was, against his face.

Truthfully, he'd never felt so uncharacteristically soft before. The need to be so.. gentle?

Never once had he ever thought in his life that he'd be in a situation such as this one.

And he was.

It killed some part of him to know that one man, his words, and his touch could reduce him to this.

What a sight for sore eyes.

He reopened his eyes to look at Chris. Really look at him, this time. Even if it wasn't very easy to tell what he did with his eyes beyond the black tinted shades of his.

The rest of Wesker was blissfully unaware of how he seemed outside of his perspective. Especially in his point man's eyes.

Without another thought, he'd lean closer. Hand travelling to the side of Chris' face instead as he placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Letting that linger for a few more milliseconds longer before he made the slightest slither of distance between them. Still far too close, but enough so that their lips didn't touch. Wesker was barely processing what he'd just done in his own head…

As though gears were turning on repeat but not ever coming to a conclusion.

He froze in place, his eyes widening in the greatest shock he had ever felt, hands lifting in the air aimlessly. His heart felt like it had almost stopped. He never thought that this would happen in a million years, and yet it was happening right now. He stayed still for a millisecond exactly before immediately melting into the kiss, and fluttering his eyelids closed.

As the kiss ended, he slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. He was speechless, and frankly, he didn't want to ruin the moment. He gently bumped his forehead against Wesker's. He stayed still for a couple of seconds more before leaning in again and returning the soft, gentle kiss.

His mind was running through so many thoughts that it was almost incoherent, but they all landed on one thing, the man in front of him, whom he never wanted to be apart from ever. He pulled away from the kiss ever so slightly and reached out, wanting to remove his captain's glasses to see those beautiful blue eyes, but waiting for a confirmation from him, searching his face.

The smallest smile curled onto his lips the second that Chris reciprocated. Right then and there, nothing else mattered. Nothing else but that man.

The way he looked at him, how carefully he handled him for a reason that even Wesker couldn't name.

There was the slightest hitch in his breathing pattern at first. However, it didn't seem like it took long for him to adjust.

He'd spent so long, far too long, wanting this moment himself. Craving it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't something he was able to come to terms with for a long, long time, and he wasn't so sure how far this moment would go or the time it would last.

Wesker didn't speak. If he did, he knew he'd sound utterly ridiculous doing so.

That red on his face darkened, the faint shade creeping up his neck and in on his face. He'd spent a decent while studying Chris' face. Eyes shifting towards his hand for a second before settling back on the man's face.

He'd nod.

Simple, silent confirmation.

#resident evil rp #rp blog #chris redfield #albert wesker #chrisker #resident evil #stars era #stars chris #stars wesker #THEYKISS THEU KISS!!!!!! they are so gau i lovethem with my whole heart #CHRIS IS SO INLOV3 HAJAJDJ its okay so is wesker #crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

His face would immediately flush red, his grip on his hands tightening instinctively as he looked to the side and smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to say that at all! Why would he do that! He reached with his spare hand to scratch the back of his neck, although it couldn't fix how hard his heart was pounding.

He sighed and slumped on the table again, moving his free hand from his neck to his face to cover it, grumbling into it. He was clearly extremely embarrassed that it had slipped out.

He slowly gazed upward at his captain, still not letting go of his hand anytime soon, as he grinned, trying to play it cool.

" Haha, Sorry, captain! I—uh, messed up with my words. . ." Definitely, he himself knew that was a lie, but he couldn't admit it, could he?

He eventually noticed the way Wesker was kneading at his shoulder like a cat making biscuits. That image made him let out a fond giggle, his nose crinkling as he laughed.

Wesker raised a brow in suspicion, closely hyper-analysing every miniscule reaction from Chris once again.

How he made his movements, when he made them, how fast he made them .. what movements he ended up doing overall.

Digging deeper into his mind, what every tiny thing could possibly mean or link back to.

He found that handy about himself sometimes. However, it was also a feature about himself he despised, as it only led to further issues or miscalculations in judgement.

His mind had circled around for a decent while. If he didn't know any better, he would've kissed the man in front of him then and there… but his pride and shame got the better of him.

‘‘ Messed up. ’’

He'd repeat under his breath with a soft sigh, shaking his head left to right in disapproval.

‘‘ What time do you usually head out to feed this 'stray' of yours? ’’

A quick, easy subject change. He didn't want to acknowledge how awkward the moment had been just moments prior or how he had responded to the situation alone.

Although he unconsciously tilted his head when the other man broke out into a small fit of giggling. Pure confusion crossing his face.

‘‘ …What's so funny? ’’

His fit of giggles eventually stopped, though he still looked at his captain with that affectionate expression. He gazed at his captain's face. Even though he wasn't an observant person himself, he still noticed the little things about his captain, and those little things made his heartbeat feel even louder.

His attention eventually returned to the man's eyes. He had been momentarily distracted and didn't respond to the question at first, blinking his eyes with confusion before eventually realizing that he had been asked something.

" Oh! Uh— I usually go after I get off work, I pass by the park on my way back home anyway!"

He seemed to still be quite flustered from the earlier fumble he had made, but was slightly thankful for the subject change.

His heart wanted to explode out of his chest when Wesker tilted his head and asked that question. He wanted to hold the man and spin him around!

"Nothing! Nothing… It's just, uh, you sorta looked like a cat doing that. It's cute!" he admitted shamelessly, his eyes sparkling with adoration. He thought for a moment before reaching out and gently placing a hand on his captain's cheek. He had no idea what he was doing himself, but he hoped that he didn't mess up just now.

Wesker gave the smallest nod in response, his eyes softening once again for a couple of passing seconds. He couldn't quite help it. His body certainly betrayed him during these moments.

He'd open his mouth like he had something to say, yet no words came out. So he closed it again.

Thankfully, drastic reactions weren't ever very prominent with Wesker. But the faint red on his face was there no matter what he did, said or thought.

‘‘ Repeat? ’’

He heard what he said, loud and clear.

…But maybe some part of him wanted to hear it again.

Much to his dismay, he leaned into Chris' touch. It wasn't something he got to experience often. Though it was a mental battle to accept any sort of affection as it was, he couldn't pass down this moment.

Chris's heart skipped another beat as he glanced at his captain, who seemed to be leaning into his touch. He was nearly convinced he was seeing things, that he might blink and the entire situation would vanish in an instant.

But as a minute passed by, nothing changed, although he noticed the faint hint of a blush on Wesker's face, which made him even giddier inside. He hesitated when asked to repeat what he had said. He averted his gaze and paused, eventually repeating it in what seemed to be an embarrassed tone.

"I said, it's uh . . . cute!" He stammered, lightly tracing his thumb along Wesker's cheek. He definitely didn't recognize this side of his captain, but he wanted to see it more.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

He'd remain quiet for a long while, eyelids fluttering shut for just a couple of seconds. Savouring the moment as it lasted.

His hand repositioned again, this time to lightly settle on the back of Chris' hand. Holding it where it was, against his face.

Truthfully, he'd never felt so uncharacteristically soft before. The need to be so.. gentle?

Never once had he ever thought in his life that he'd be in a situation such as this one.

And he was.

It killed some part of him to know that one man, his words, and his touch could reduce him to this.

What a sight for sore eyes.

He reopened his eyes to look at Chris. Really look at him, this time. Even if it wasn't very easy to tell what he did with his eyes beyond the black tinted shades of his.

The rest of Wesker was blissfully unaware of how he seemed outside of his perspective. Especially in his point man's eyes.

Without another thought, he'd lean closer. Hand travelling to the side of Chris' face instead as he placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Letting that linger for a few more milliseconds longer before he made the slightest slither of distance between them. Still far too close, but enough so that their lips didn't touch. Wesker was barely processing what he'd just done in his own head…

As though gears were turning on repeat but not ever coming to a conclusion.

#resident evil rp #rp blog #chris redfield #albert wesker #chrisker #resident evil #stars era #stars chris #stars wesker #hi he kissed him #HE WAS TWEAKING HE COULDJT NOT hes so cute THEYARS BOTH SOCUTE #ahwwhhs chris admiring your boyfCAAAPTAIN!!!!#crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

His face would immediately flush red, his grip on his hands tightening instinctively as he looked to the side and smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to say that at all! Why would he do that! He reached with his spare hand to scratch the back of his neck, although it couldn't fix how hard his heart was pounding.

He sighed and slumped on the table again, moving his free hand from his neck to his face to cover it, grumbling into it. He was clearly extremely embarrassed that it had slipped out.

He slowly gazed upward at his captain, still not letting go of his hand anytime soon, as he grinned, trying to play it cool.

" Haha, Sorry, captain! I—uh, messed up with my words. . ." Definitely, he himself knew that was a lie, but he couldn't admit it, could he?

He eventually noticed the way Wesker was kneading at his shoulder like a cat making biscuits. That image made him let out a fond giggle, his nose crinkling as he laughed.

Wesker raised a brow in suspicion, closely hyper-analysing every miniscule reaction from Chris once again.

How he made his movements, when he made them, how fast he made them .. what movements he ended up doing overall.

Digging deeper into his mind, what every tiny thing could possibly mean or link back to.

He found that handy about himself sometimes. However, it was also a feature about himself he despised, as it only led to further issues or miscalculations in judgement.

His mind had circled around for a decent while. If he didn't know any better, he would've kissed the man in front of him then and there… but his pride and shame got the better of him.

‘‘ Messed up. ’’

He'd repeat under his breath with a soft sigh, shaking his head left to right in disapproval.

‘‘ What time do you usually head out to feed this 'stray' of yours? ’’

A quick, easy subject change. He didn't want to acknowledge how awkward the moment had been just moments prior or how he had responded to the situation alone.

Although he unconsciously tilted his head when the other man broke out into a small fit of giggling. Pure confusion crossing his face.

‘‘ …What's so funny? ’’

His fit of giggles eventually stopped, though he still looked at his captain with that affectionate expression. He gazed at his captain's face. Even though he wasn't an observant person himself, he still noticed the little things about his captain, and those little things made his heartbeat feel even louder.

His attention eventually returned to the man's eyes. He had been momentarily distracted and didn't respond to the question at first, blinking his eyes with confusion before eventually realizing that he had been asked something.

" Oh! Uh— I usually go after I get off work, I pass by the park on my way back home anyway!"

He seemed to still be quite flustered from the earlier fumble he had made, but was slightly thankful for the subject change.

His heart wanted to explode out of his chest when Wesker tilted his head and asked that question. He wanted to hold the man and spin him around!

"Nothing! Nothing… It's just, uh, you sorta looked like a cat doing that. It's cute!" he admitted shamelessly, his eyes sparkling with adoration. He thought for a moment before reaching out and gently placing a hand on his captain's cheek. He had no idea what he was doing himself, but he hoped that he didn't mess up just now.

Wesker gave the smallest nod in response, his eyes softening once again for a couple of passing seconds. He couldn't quite help it. His body certainly betrayed him during these moments.

He'd open his mouth like he had something to say, yet no words came out. So he closed it again.

Thankfully, drastic reactions weren't ever very prominent with Wesker. But the faint red on his face was there no matter what he did, said or thought.

‘‘ Repeat? ’’

He heard what he said, loud and clear.

…But maybe some part of him wanted to hear it again.

Much to his dismay, he leaned into Chris' touch. It wasn't something he got to experience often. Though it was a mental battle to accept any sort of affection as it was, he couldn't pass down this moment.

#resident evil rp #rp blog #chris redfield #albert wesker #chrisker #resident evil #stars era #stars chris #stars wesker #THEY MAKE ME VIOLENTLY ILL #chris ruffield and albert whiskers im giggling #THSHAJSHSH I LOVRHTME #they r gonna kiss trist me im so srs #crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

His face would immediately flush red, his grip on his hands tightening instinctively as he looked to the side and smiled sheepishly. He didn't mean to say that at all! Why would he do that! He reached with his spare hand to scratch the back of his neck, although it couldn't fix how hard his heart was pounding.

He sighed and slumped on the table again, moving his free hand from his neck to his face to cover it, grumbling into it. He was clearly extremely embarrassed that it had slipped out.

He slowly gazed upward at his captain, still not letting go of his hand anytime soon, as he grinned, trying to play it cool.

" Haha, Sorry, captain! I—uh, messed up with my words. . ." Definitely, he himself knew that was a lie, but he couldn't admit it, could he?

He eventually noticed the way Wesker was kneading at his shoulder like a cat making biscuits. That image made him let out a fond giggle, his nose crinkling as he laughed.

Wesker raised a brow in suspicion, closely hyper-analysing every miniscule reaction from Chris once again.

How he made his movements, when he made them, how fast he made them .. what movements he ended up doing overall.

Digging deeper into his mind, what every tiny thing could possibly mean or link back to.

He found that handy about himself sometimes. However, it was also a feature about himself he despised, as it only led to further issues or miscalculations in judgement.

His mind had circled around for a decent while. If he didn't know any better, he would've kissed the man in front of him then and there… but his pride and shame got the better of him.

‘‘ Messed up. ’’

He'd repeat under his breath with a soft sigh, shaking his head left to right in disapproval.

‘‘ What time do you usually head out to feed this 'stray' of yours? ’’

A quick, easy subject change. He didn't want to acknowledge how awkward the moment had been just moments prior or how he had responded to the situation alone.

Although he unconsciously tilted his head when the other man broke out into a small fit of giggling. Pure confusion crossing his face.

‘‘ …What's so funny? ’’

#resident evil rp #rp blog #chris redfield #albert wesker #chrisker #resident evil #stars era #stars chris #stars wesker #FORGIVE ME I HAVE BEEN SO ON AND OFF N SLEEPY TODAY AAHHHGHT #chrisker chrisker chrisker THEY DRIVE ME CRAZY #HWHEJSHE WHISKERS!!!! /SILLY #he is literally a cat i swear trust #he's a kittay and chris is a dog trjst me #crypticagent

CLOSED RP STARTER @madelnheavenn

Dating back to the late 1990s… usual placement, second floor department.

Wesker was closed off within his office, but there was no difference there. Perching upon the edge of his seat, a couple of papers were discarded on the floor. Most littering the surface of his desk, the odd few scrunched into balls off in a silver-tinned trashbin..

Both fingertips dug into the base of his pen, scribbling down notes and all that fancy business jazz.

He was completely engrossed in his work, as though it was the only thing he could bring himself to focus on.

Or, more so, that he wanted to focus on.

The repetitive ticking of none other than the clock became nothing but a muffled background noise to him. If he were to focus on it too much, it'd probably drive him into insanity. The littlest things always seemed to peeve Wesker.

He basked in the warm-coloured sunlight that seeped through the blinds, that familiar silence.

Until it was suddenly interrupted with a knock… a visitor, perhaps?

Wesker's eyes would dart up towards the door. Examining the frame of it until he spoke out,

‘‘ Come in. ’’

Chris hesitated briefly with the doorknob before opening it, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the captain, a smile appearing on his face as he closed the door behind him, and he held out a hand to wave.

"Captain! You're still doing paperwork?" he questioned, his voice tinged with a small hint of concern. He approached the desk, glancing toward the mountain of papers before looking back at Wesker.

" Shouldn't you, uh, like—take a break, or somethin'?"

Some small part of Wesker's stare seemed to soften upon realising it was none other than him—but he shook his head side to side in dismissal, lowering his gaze back to the lined paper.

‘‘ Ah, Chris. ’’

A pause. Allowing silence to linger for a moment whilst he re-read everything he had previously written down.

Despite the slight change in his expression before, that immediately went a step back. Eyes narrowing with nothing but frustration, his fingers working to quickly scribble out and replace a couple of words here and there. He wasn't too proud of what he'd produced that afternoon, but, it was a start.

‘‘ I need no such thing, ’’

He'd begin. Quite the delayed response, if I'd say so myself.

‘‘ A few more, and this section will be done and dusted. ’’

Howeverrrr… his eyes drifted towards the newly mounted stack of papers. There was a lot more he had originally intended to do, compared to what he claimed.

‘‘ …Err. Nothing I cannot handle. Do you need something? ’’

The question came out almost expectantly. But he wouldn't truly mind if Chris was without a reason.. maybe.

Chris shifted uncomfortably in the silence. He wasn't used to the quiet, and it showed. He scratched the back of his head, glancing at the ground before looking back at Wesker when he spoke, spotting how his expression subtly changed. He had been staring at his captain's face for as long as he had walked in, so of course he would!

He got startled when he spoke again, jumping slightly at the break of the silence, before having a look of disappointment on his face, raising an eyebrow at the denial. Clearly, this man was overworking himself, and he had to convince him to take a break somehow! He let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on the stack of papers and moving them to the side.

"Psshh. . . Commeee ooon! You look like you're about to pass out, no offense. You can finish them later! Have you even eaten yet?"

He sighed loudly, moving to lean on the desk and rest a hand against his cheek, his expression one of boredom, as well as slight worry. He got snapped out of his thoughts when his captain spoke again, his eyes meeting his. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

" uuuuhh. . . Noooottt really! But — but! I finished my work! Mostly. . . But no, I don't need anything! Is that a problem?"

Wesker's gaze lifted, only to stay trained upon Chris again. For quite a while.

He never found himself questioning how he behaved. Usually, he'd be the one to pick up on the small things and jump to assess them.. 'fix' them, essentially.

Yet he never seemed to do that with the man in front of him, leaning against his desk.

Of course, there was always a little conflict or two.

But never with the way he acted.

He had spent a decent while studying his body language. The awkward mannerisms, the occasional jump… However, he never mentioned it. Simply raised a brow of his own instead.

Wesker exhaled a sigh, his hand finding way to make contact with his face. Running it over from the corners of his eyes, up to his forehead. Then back down. Roughly pressing against his head to keep him grounded to a degree.

Chris was always so worried about him.

And, in a way. It was nice. Having somebody to focus on you and you alone. Part of him enjoyed their interactions. He liked it, when Chris would stop by.. offer to help out, look out for him.

Even just talk to him.

But another part of him deep down, remained conflicted with that. He always wanted to drag on their interactions. To gain that affection he so desperately craved. Although it pained him so bad to his gut.

It felt odd. Never once had he been handled so gently, nor with care.

The silence overthrew him for some time, hand resting over his mouth. Eyes diverting anywhere else in the room, instead of looking into Chris' own.

‘‘ …I have not. I can take care of myself to all means necessary when I am finished. You mustn't worry about that—and no, it is no problem.. ’’

He kept his gaze on the man in front of him, only then realizing the prolonged eye contact between them. He looked to the side, smiling widely and nervously as he turned away, suddenly finding the ground very interesting, as if trying not to seem obvious.

He moved his hand away from his cheek to rest his arms on the desk, turning his gaze back to his captain. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tilted his head and frowned deeply at the response. Letting out a huff of determination, he's set on getting this man to take a break, even if it's the last thing he's going to do!

"Cooommeee oooon... It won't hurt to take a teeny tiny break! You deserve it, and you haven't eaten yet! If you eat, you'll do it so much more efficiently! Right?"

He batted his eyes, interlinking his hands to try and persuade him more, using all the 'tricks' he knew. he just wanted his captain to be less of a workaholic and take care of himself! Even if he said he could take care of himself, Chris internally doubted that. he would probably forget about it or something! That wasn't happening on Chris's watch...

"I'm standing right here for as long as I have to! I won't take no for an answer! . . . Please?"

Wesker found himself looking back at Chris yet again. He always seemed to end up doing that.

He noticed; everything, essentially.

The quick aversion of eye contact above all else.

It amused him.

His eyes fell down to the other's hands, studying them for a moment. Until he eventually huffed out a sigh, lowering his face to the back of his own.

It was apparent to him. VERY clearly. That Chris wasn't going to give up.

…Why did he care so much?

Wesker carefully raised a hand of his own, as if to shut down any more rambling about the topic. Though it was a useless act in that moment.

‘‘ Alright- alright. ’’

He'd squeeze his eyes shut, then allow them to open again, acting as though agreeing to something like this would be such a curse to him. He brought his head back up, eyes softening all over again.

He just couldn't get him to listen, could he?

‘‘ I will take a break. I suppose you're… right. ’’

The word ‘right’ was delivered vvvvery hesitantly. Admitting defeat wasn't his favouuurite thing…

Chris immediately straightened up upon hearing those words, beaming with pure joy as he grinned. His eyes sparkling so brightly they could almost blind someone.

He untangled his hands and lifted one to suddenly grab Wesker's raised hand. He wished so bad he could see his captain's eyes underneath those sunglasses, but this will have to do! He squeezed his hand and grinned from ear to ear, almost looking like an excited puppy with that expression.

"Haha! Hell yeah!!" he spoke, without even thinking of the consequences of being unprofessional in front of his captain. He let go of his captain's hand and got ready to almost dash towards the door, but glancing at Wesker's face for confirmation before he did, he looked impatient.

Wesker's shoulders would tense up for a couple of seconds—not necessarily for a bad reason, just pure surprise in the moment. Being caught off guard, if you must.

He watched the way the other lit up due to such a simple thing, their hands interlocking for a short-lived time…

A completely normal, innocent gesture.

But it pushed him to harbour the most complex feelings.

Something he'd label ‘inadequate’ more often than not.

It was complicated for him. Everything always was. Or, maybe, he made it complicated.

‘‘ Hm. ’’

His hand hung in the air for a few more passing seconds in time, even despite the absence of Chris' hand. Until he slowly lowered it against the surface of the desk, that was. His alternative hand finding it's route back to cover his mouth, almost out of some form of embarrassment..

But he'd find a way to disguise it as something else, as usual.

‘‘ Go on. I'll,, ahem, catch up shortly… ’’

Chris let out a fond laugh, clearly not aware of the effect he had on Wesker with the gesture he had just made. He was as oblivious as usual, but could you blame him? He's as dumb as a bag of rocks...

He regarded Wesker with a nod, holding his hand out to wave at him before turning away and going to the door. Before turning his head back to glance at Wesker one last time. But as he did, he noticed the way Wesker covered his mouth, the way he seemed almost… embarrassed? His expression shifted to a slightly surprised one. Was he seeing things? He shook his head and smiled again. He must've been.

"Well, alright . . . See you there, Cap!"

He moved to the door again, opening it and rushing outside to step outside, expecting his captain to follow after him shortly as he made his way to the station's cafeteria.

Wesker rewarded him with a nod of his own, dismissively waving his hand back and forth to usher him to leave quicker.

A few minutes passed. He scooped up the base of the pen between his fingertips, debating on finishing up a few things. But after Chris' efforts, he couldn't bring himself to. Even if he'd really prefer to think of anything else but him in that moment.. he couldn't shake him from his mind. Not one bit.

‘‘ Ugh.. fool. ’’

He'd mumble under his breath. It was unclear whether or not he meant that towards himself or another. Presumably himself.

He found himself doing nothing but sitting, burying his fingers into his hair as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Why was this so difficult for him?

It was just brief hand-holding. It didn't mean anything! Why was it so difficult to endure?!

Wesker cursed to himself a couple of times, eventually clearing his throat and pressing his hands down to the desk surface. Swerving to his feet and around the table. He had already dropped the pen back down prior to standing up.

Small adjustments were made to his glasses before he paced towards the door. Twisting it open by the handle, walking out and shutting it carefully behind him.

And with that, he made his way towards the cafeteria, scouting out for Chris.

Chris was spotted sitting at an empty table, with two wrapped sandwiches on said table, as he was waiting for the other man to arrive. He had a bored expression on his face, and he was leaning on his hand. Patience wasn't one of this man's qualities, clearly. . .

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, possibly a way to pass the time before hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, and he immediately whipped his head around. His bored expression shifted to an excited one. He held his hand out and waved it to signal him over.

" Captain! Over here!" he chirped, grinning like an idiot.

Something in the way that Chris lit up with excitement, the way he grinned like he was watching some sort of favourite movie of his, always put the tiniest of smile on Wesker's face. He'd never admit it directly, but he certainly favoured this man compared to the other members of S.T.A.R.S.

With simple yet hurried strides, he approached, finding himself a seat to settle down upon.

‘‘ You are rather dedicated, I'll give you that. ’’

Wesker placed both hands on the table surface, clasping them together. His eyes skimmed across the two sandwiches, a brow of his own furrowing once more.

It wasn't often he concerned himself with nutrients; food, drink, all else. He consumed the bare minimum, but that never went further unless he particularly needed to. It wasn't a regular for him.

In his eyes, he didn't need it as much as the others may. Couldn't afford to make stops in his work for something so futile.

But, this moment seemed worthwhile.. at least he had somebody to accompany him. Someone whom he enjoyed the likeliness of.

His gaze travelled up to meet with Chris' face again. Remaining on his eyes for longer than he intended to.. but no judgement there, only simple admiration.

For the record, he found his eyes pretty…

‘‘ You chose a decent place to sit, too. Well done. ’’

Random topic. To cover himself up, supposedly.

Chris watched the man sit down, staring at him as if he were the most interesting person in the entire world. He tried to shift his expression to a calmer one, but completely failed. the smile on his face never left. He had to compose himself or else he would look like a weirdo!

He removed his hand from his cheek and slid one of the sandwiches over to his Captain, looking to the side as he tried to seem calm and collected. Meanwhile, he looked like a nervous mess, glancing to the side and grinning sheepishly.

" Haha—dedication to what??" He questioned, finally returning his gaze to Wesker, placing both hands on the table, crossing them and tilting his head towards Wesker in return.

He had no idea that Wesker was staring into his eyes for so long. It's not like he wasn't staring either... His eyes were searching the man's face. He probably could stare at this man's face for hours! To be honest, he thought the other man was quite handsome. He wished he could see his eyes more often, but unfortunately, he always wore those sunglasses... Which he was also fond of, strangely...

He seemed to be zoned out before snapping out of it when his captain spoke again, sheepishly straightening himself and nodding.

" Huh? Oh—uh, yeah! I always sit here with Jill on our lunch break, it's kinda my go-to spot!" he stammered, trying to act like he wasn't just zoned out staring at his face.

Wesker didn't look away for some time, only choosing to focus on Chris. He didn't mind much.. considering, the other did the exact same thing in return.

Thank god for his sunglasses. There were a ton of pros to using them.

…This being one of them.

However, he ended up clearing his throat with a rough cough, looking down at the sandwich instead. Dragging it in closer towards himself, carefully peeling it out of the packaging.

‘‘ Mhm. Thank you. ’’

It wasn't often he thanked people.. if anything, he preferred others thanking him. But the consideration of food for him was a nice gesture.

‘‘ Reasonable, it's less crowded compared to the rest. ’’

He gave a simple nod in approval again. One of his fingers subconsciously traced the outer package in a careful, repeated motion. Whilst he took a small bite out of his food, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand afterwards.

‘‘ Do I interest you that much? ’’

He cleared his throat as well, looking to the side sheepishly, not wanting to comment on what just happened, but he felt like his heart was gonna explode out of his chest! Why was his Captain just quietly staring at him? Did he mess something up? Was something on his face? He didn't know!

He shook his head to curb the thoughts and moved to pick up the sandwich as well, copying the others' movements unconsciously. Although his moments were a bit messier, opting to rip open the packaging, the opposite of what his Captain was doing.

His eyes met Wesker's again, tilting his head before smiling brightly and waving a free hand to dismiss it, a hue of almost unnoticeable red appearing on his cheeks.

" uh— huh? Oh, it's noooothing! .. No problem, though!"

To be fair, he had never heard Wesker say thank you, so this was a surprise to him—a nice one, but a surprise nonetheless. He moved to take a bite of the sandwich to distract himself from his fluttering heart. A crumb made its way onto his cheek, but Chris hadn't noticed it, still taking bites of the sandwich.

" whuh? You—uh, yeah.. I—I thiiiink so? you, uh.. Do? Sorry— why are you asking???" he stammered, getting caught off guard with the sudden question. Was he that obvious?

‘‘ Hm. ’’

Wesker softly hummed, looking up to catch a glimpse of the subtle colour change in Chris' cheeks.

He'd take another bite out of his sandwich, swallowing it before he carefully placed it back down in front of him.

Leaning forwards, over the table, to extend his hand out and gently wipe away the crumb from the man's face with his thumb. Then he leaned back once again to readjust his position, folding one leg neatly over the other.

‘‘ I see. ’’

Wesker scooped up the rest of his sandwich again, taking smaller and more precise bites through the bread.

‘‘ You were staring. ’’

A flat, direct response. Completely refusing to acknowledge how he did the same thing, but maybe it was better off that way.

..Some things didn't need to be brought up. He wasn't even sure how he'd respond.

One of his hands brushed across his chest to wipe himself clean of any spare crumbs littered amongst his vest.

Better to look presentable.

Although that wasn't his top priority.

Chris froze up as the captain touched his face, his eyes fluttering as he felt his cool hands brush away the crumb on his face. He blinked, not knowing how to react. He lowered his own hand that was holding the sandwich, the other reaching out to touch the spot Wesker had just touched.

He stammered, not knowing how to respond to the gesture that his captain had just made. His cheeks flushed with a red hue as his eyes searched the man's face, trying to spot him acknowledging what he had just done, but to no avail.

Gazing down at the table, then back at the man in front of him, he couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Had one small touch been enough to fluster him for the entire day? It probably meant nothing! He was overthinking it, but something inside him hoped he wasn't.

" I— uh, I was? I didn't notice. . . Sorry—" he muttered quickly, looking to the side as he took a bite of his sandwich to distract him from embarrassing himself or something. Although he couldn't help himself from focusing his gaze on the man's face, a nervous smile appeared on his face.

" Heeeyy, what was that for?" he tried to sound confident, but ended up trailing off at the end. Clearly, that gesture had flustered him more than he himself even knew.

Wesker raised an eyebrow, his eyes finding their way back to Chris' face. Tracing over each of his features, mentally memorising them.

Or, something else.

He'd tilt his head to the left, another quiet 'hm?' slipping from his lips, unintentionally, before he could process it. Quite literally EYEING the other down. He saw no issue in it for a while. Or.. maybe he didn't acknowledge it himself. He'd think about any mental 'consequence' later.

The littlest smirk curled upon one corner of his mouth, just for him to lean his cheek upon his right hand instead. The remainder of his food now discarded on the table beside his elbow. He had far more important things to focus on anyway… 𖹭

‘‘ What exactly?, ’’

His tone was significantly more soft—calm, almost. He was waaayyyyy too content compared to usual.

‘‘ The mess was bothering me. So I sorted it out. ’’

He gazed back at his captain's face, spotting the little smirk, which to others might've been unnoticeable. But to him, it was special. He never saw the captain smile much, so he wanted to cherish this moment forever if he could.

But right now, he seemed dumbfounded. He had no idea how to react to Wesker's eyes on him, so he glanced back at him and then shifted his gaze to his captain's lips, only to look away immediately. His heart was racing! What was up with him today? He needed to calm down now...

" Mmess?– ah, uh... Alright.. ttthaanks..? "

Chris also noticed the way his tone changed, it made his heart flutter. He was usually so confident and everything! This man was making him feel like a lovestruck fool!

He put his sandwich down, his hands moving to cover his own face, acting as if he were just rubbing his eyes, when in reality he was trying to hide the fact that he was extremely flustered.

" Haahaa— Nice uh, day out, right? The weathers nice and everything! and uh–"

Chris cut himself off, removing his hands from his face and making eye contact with his captain again, his sheepish grin returning to his face, although lopsided.

‘‘ Mhhmm.. ’’

Wesker would hum again, eyes never leaving Chris' face, like it was some sort of competition. Which, even if it was, he would've won long ago. His ass was NOT listening.

He couldn't seem to get himself to look away, though in all truth; it's not like he wanted to.

Every time the other's smile or expression even slightly changed, he noticed it. Examined the subtle difference like it was some study to assess.

Precisely, he'd notice the brief glance to his lips. Even if it was quick and (what Chris hoped) barely noticeable.

It intrigued him.

For a longer outstretched moment, it was only quiet. Painfully quiet. Wesker didn't move much, the smallest of changes in the way his fingers curled into his palm. Other than that, he remained still.

He'd absolutely dwell on this later.

‘‘ Hm? Ah, ’’

He.. somewhat snapped back into focus, raising a finger to run it across his own lips. Pressing into his teeth.

‘‘ The weather is.. manageable. The sunlight is nice. However, it's expected for there to be a downcast of rain soon. So, perhaps not that delightful. ’’

Chris seemed to be fidgeting with his hands. Staring at the table, occasionally glancing at his captain and then back to the table, still nervously wondering why he was staring so intently at him. He wasn't complaining about it, though.

He shuffled in his seat and moved a hand to place it on his cheek. It was too quiet! He didn't mind it usually, but he was fumbling this. He had to be more confident and be his normal self! But how could he do that with—

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes landing on his captain again. He batted his eyes in slight confusion, then let out a defeated huff. His smile dropped as he slumped on the table.

" Aww, man! Really? There goes all my plans for today . . . It didn't look like it would rain!"

He had noticed the way Wesker ran his finger across his lips, tilting his head, but he didnt comment on that. His gaze lingered on his lips for a moment before he shook his head quickly and stared at his eyes—well, sunglasses again—smiling nervously.

Wesker tapped a finger or two against the firm surface, a sigh leaving his mouth.

Both hands then slid to his face, fingertips digging into the bridge of his nose.. pushing up his sunglasses slightly.

He'd exhale another shaky breath, readjusting the shades to shield his eyes as they typically did…

‘‘ Those plans can't wait for another day? ’’

He'd ask, almost as if expecting he'd readjust his schedule by default.

‘‘ What did you intend on doing, anyway? Anything interesting?.. ’’

Another simple query. Perhaps a way to shift the topic, or maybe it was just some slick stunt, to keep hearing Chris talk for a prolonged period of time.

There was a lot he admired about that man.

His behaviour, his loyalty, his skills. The way he looked, the way he spoke. Him.

It was a difficult task of its own to hold himself back.

He straightened up, although still resting his head on his hand. He let out an overdramatic huff again, glancing to the side as he crossed the other arm across his chest. His expression looked full of disappointment.

"Well, yeah, I can... But it's such a hassle! You know? Having to replan everything and stuff... Psshh, booorrring!"

He rambled, shaking his head repeatedly as he sulked in frustration.

He heard the question and immediately shot up, as if he wasn't sulking and being miserable just now. He grinned widely and stared ahead at his captain, clearly excited to ramble on about his day. Sometimes, he acted like an overgrown puppy...

" Oh! So—I was going to head to the park to get some fresh air and go for a jog, of course! And there's a super cute stray dog there that's very friendly to everyone! I feed it every day—I wish I could keep it… Poor thing's going to get soaked in the rain! I hope it's alright…"

The initial sulking from the man made him chuckle.. the way that people behaved had always been an interest for him; especially when it was Chris.

Wesker was never very well-versed when it came to emotions and emotional responses. That was something he lacked knowledge or, rather, everything of.

He knew what they were. And he harboured many himself. However, he preferred to keep those deep down and out the way. This guy was always quite uptight about professionalism, and he never had a reason to portray some sort of emotion physically.

Even if he did, he never particularly enjoyed it.

Whether that emotion was anger, something akin to sadness, maybe even a slither of joy.

He never knew how to express them.

In fact, they were never anything more than a stunt—an obstacle in his eyes. A problem.

But for some strange reason, tied to some strange feeling that he couldn't name… Chris made him feel everything.

He'd never felt so human before.

‘‘ Mhmm.. ’’

Wesker mumbled, leaning his cheek onto his hand again. Letting his thoughts trail south as he listened to Chris yap on and on..

It wasn't often they had moments like this. He didn't accept them that much himself either. But this felt special.

His heart skipped a beat, causing those thoughts to pause. Eyes darting to the right, one hand making its way to rest upon his chest, right where his heart would be.

Slow yet shallow breaths accompanied with,

What on earth was this feeling?

Nonetheless, Wesker tried desperately to shake it off. Clearing his throat before he spoke,

‘‘ You could.. ahem. Take an umbrella or something of that sort to feed it. ’’

Chris perked up upon hearing Wesker, his eyebrows rising as he moved to place a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Then he grinned, shifting his hand again to lay it flat on the table. His gaze returned to his captain, and his eyes seemed to sparkle as well.

He had noticed the way Wesker was staring at him, the way he had been listening as if he were hearing the most interesting thing on earth, which made his own heart skip a beat. Noticing the spot where his hand was, he couldn't help but wonder if his captain felt the same way he did. He snapped out of his thoughts, running a hand through his hair nervously as he immediately responded.

"Huh, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered, still grinning from ear to ear. Yeah, Chris, why didn't you think of that before...

"Thanks for the idea, Cap! Do you, uh... maaaybe wanna come with me later? It'd be awesome! — iif you're not busy, of course. . . "

He softened his expression, staring at the other man with hopeful eyes while nervously adjusting his hands. He desperately wanted to hang out with the Captain as much as he could!

Wesker cleared his throat once more, quieter this time. Fingers scratching lightly at his chest, acting as some cover-up for that—not so—subtle motion he'd made.

He returned his gaze back over to Chris, watching the way he seemed to light up all over again.

It was nice to see. Him, happy.

His hand found its way to the back of his neck instead, rubbing just a little too rough. But in all seriousness, the pressure didn't matter at that moment. It was a way to ground himself.

‘‘ I'll have to check through my schedule, but I suppose I could spare a few minutes to accompany you. ’’

Wesker nodded, the hand on his neck repositioning itself to his shoulder, whilst the other settled down upon the table temporarily. He'd tap a finger or two against the surface, that same repeated motion occurring for a good few minutes straight.

He'd never felt this way before.

Let alone, nervous.

…What was that about?

Chris immediately grinned, his eyes sparkling with glee, having that dumb, excited look on his face again, he almost couldn't tell if this was a dream or real life! The captain was always cold—always withdrawn! Was he that lucky to have his attention?

" Awesome! I'll text you when I get off work!"

Chris was still smiling widely, although it softened when he noticed the nervous drumming of his hand against the table. He tilted his head before refocusing on his Captain's face. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds as he seemed to weigh his options before reaching out and gently placing a hand on Wesker's.

He didn't acknowledge it, instead opting to ramble more about anything to the captain, tapping his hand against his own unconsciously. He hoped this wasn't gonna gain him a scolding of anything, buuuuuuttt . . . even if it did it was worth it!

"We could also get coffee on the way there? My treat! Oh—and thanks for, like . . . making time for me and all! It's nice to hang out with you," he admitted, his goofy smile not disappearing one bit.

Wesker's eyes travelled down to their hands the moment he felt the shift in heat upon his own. Sort of.. staring.

Yet, despite how much he would have preferred to in any other situation, supposedly. He didn't pull away.

Just simply let Chris rest his hand atop of his.

The silence from him stretched out uncomfortably long, but it wasn't anything new when it came to him.

He closed his eyelids for a few seconds, exhaling a sigh. Praying that any shift in his face wasn't noticeable.

‘‘ Excuse me.. ’’

He cleared his throat again, eyes opening to refocus back on Chris, for as long as he could keep it up..

‘‘ Coffee.. mhm, yes- that would be nice. ’’

A simple nod in response..

‘‘ Ah? Yes, you're welcome.. makes my day more lively, I suppose. ’’

Chris grew a bit worried when Wesker stared at their intertwined hands for a long period of time, thinking that he had messed up and that the captain was going to pull his hand away. But as he waited, he found nothing—just the warmth of their held hands.

He would immediately brighten up. He felt like he could pass out right then and there! There was a noticeable blush on his face. Clearly, Chris wasn't one to hide his emotions that well. Deciding to be bold, he very gently squeezed his hand.

"Whoa, really! So, you like hanging out with me?" He chirped, placing his other hand on his cheek, and staring back at Wesker as he noticed the subtle changes in his face — he couldn't help but keep looking at him.

Wesker carefully curled his fingers inwards to cling onto Chris' hand. Taking a deep breath in and out.

His free hand found its path to his mouth all over again, covering it.

He didn't know how to feel.

How to respond.

What was this feeling? On the tip of his tongue yet he couldn't name it.

It was painfully intense, in a way that he wanted to endure more of it.

Though it was difficult to admit, he did enjoy Chris' presence. He enjoyed his little sessions of yapping. He liked talking to him… admiring him. Everything about him, really.

The list could go on.

However much to his dismay, he responded:

‘‘ Yes… ’’

Though, the slight regret afterwards was noticeable. Over the fact he verbally admitted it.. the confession sounded more humiliating out loud than within his clouded thoughts.

‘‘ Well. Not- yes? Perhaps… ’’

He glanced down at their joined hands, shifting his own to hold Wesker's more comfortably, basically intertwining them. He glanced back at his Captain, his blush seeming to deepen as he stared at him before letting out a fond chuckle. He couldn't help it! He felt like he was on cloud nine... He didn't want this moment to ever end!

He couldn't help how he felt for his captain—it was something way different from how he usually felt for others. Sure, he's a people person and all, but this was different, like he had been struck by Cupid!

And those emotions grew when Wesker admitted that he liked hanging out with him— it was something he wouldn't trade for the world. His heart skipped a beat as he didn't say anything for a moment, gazing down at their hands before turning back to his captain, stammering for a bit before sighing, and finally responding normally.

"Well, uh... I like you too, well—I mean! Hanging out with you! Sorry." He fumbled that, his other unpreoccupied hand raising up to his hair to twirl it nervously. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to stop!

Wesker swallowed HARD.

He was stuck on the line of wanting to let go and pull away or hold on tighter and be closer.

It was a difficult decision to make.

One that, infact, he couldn't choose between.

His eyes darted down to their hands, essentially following the same thing that Chris did. Then they snapped back up to his face the moment that sentence rung through his ears.

He could've sworn his heart stopped completely.

‘‘ …Hanging out with me, ’’

He'd ‘correct’ him, although it sounded like he was repeating what he said to partially convince himself, too.

The hand upon his mouth returned to his shoulder, mercilessly kneading into it with his fingers like some sort of cat would.

‘‘ ..Mhhm. Ahem. Let's not get too carried away here. ’’

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