Work Text:
- Chris cooks dinner. Wesker gets hungry.
It was that time again. The performance review week and frankly Wesker was just about done with the whole thing. He wasn’t the sort to sugar-coat when someone underperformed and he expected, even demanded, excellence from his team members. Most understood his high standards were warranted and they strived to make him, as well as the department, proud but there were always some black sheep among the flock.
Some might have called Wesker a mean captain, probably due to his ‘cold’ demeanour but he’d always been fair. He rewarded and praised good work while making it abundantly clear he wouldn’t stand for subpar performances. He wasn’t known for giving many second chances but he wasn’t a monster. If someone made their case and he saw an honest attempt to improve, he’d been known to stay his judgement. How else would the more notorious troublemakers still have a job under his command?
Wesker sighed and reached for the next file. The next person waiting to be reviewed was Jill Valentine and Wesker was actually filled with relief. She was one of his best and he wouldn’t have to spend much time correcting her behaviour. Lately she’d been more distracted than usual, making some silly mistakes in her reports but that was an easily fixable problem. She was one of the good ones and he’d rarely had reason to reprimand her. Even on those rare occasions he knew it was her usually taking the fall for… her friends.
Chris had begged him to let him go first and get his review out of the way and Wesker had eventually given in. There was an order to things but since when had the brunette made things easy? Then again, it paid to date the captain and Wesker even allowed him to leave early after the meeting. That was highly against protocol but Chris had promised to sneak out so nobody would see him. Wesker decided it was best not to wonder why the other man was so comfortable offering that as a viable option…. Had he ‘sneaked’ away early before? Clearly yes, but he decided if it didn’t affect his job and he didn’t get caught, Wesker could pretend ignorance. For now.
The younger mana’s review went as well as expected. It was difficult getting Chris to take matters seriously, especially matters he considered ‘pointless’. Getting him to file his paperwork was basically the majority of Wesker’s job. Getting him to complete it well AND in a timely manner was his haunting defeat. Usually he had to resort to some form of bribery just to get the excitable man to pick up a pen. Fortunately for Chris he was an absolutely phenomenal operative with skills few could outmatch. Unfortunately that ego boost sometimes got to his head and he was known to be reckless. Wesker hated to reprimand him but he continued hoping he’d get through to the man eventually… There were only so many fires he could pull him out of before someone decided he was more of a liability than an asset, no matter how vehemently Wesker disagreed.
During the review he’d once again made his worries knows and Chris had promised to behave. Wesker didn’t hold his breath but it was fine. If Chris’ worst quality were late reports, the captain could live with that. Besides, Chris was known for resorting to bribes of his own and Wesker was ashamed to admit they mostly worked. On one or two occasions those ‘bribes’ had been tempting enough for him to do his subordinate’s paperwork, not that anyone would ever know. Except Jill. Chris told her everything but she was clever enough not to stir the pot.
‘Are you ready for me Captain?’ The woman peaked from the hallway and Wesker waved her in. She walked with the confidence of someone who had nothing to fear and sat in the awaiting chair comfortably enough.
‘Jill. Let’s begin with your field performance. Your combat skills have only improved since last time and I’ve seen how you handle yourself. I have no notes there.’ Wesker flipped the page and Jill grinned, perhaps a bit cockily but she’d earned the right. Unlike Chris, even when she was reckless she was overcautious. Wesker had hoped some of her caution would rub off on Chris if they were paired together but he’d succeeded in achieving the exact opposite. Jill was getting more reckless but still a far cry from worrisome.
‘Thank you sir.’
‘Next, your paperwork. And most of Chris’.’ Jill blushed a little but Wesker waved her fear away. He didn’t really care who got tricked into filing the other man’s reports as long as they got done. ‘Also, perfect. Though I would consider dumbing down the language for some of them’ Wesker was obviously referring to Chris’ share. Jill sounded too official, too book smart to pass off as the usually sloppy, borderline insulting work of her friend. Wesker always channelled the mentality of an obstinate child when he pretended to be Chris…
‘…Sorry about that. I’ll add some misspellings next time.’ Wesker hinted at a smile. Pretending not to acknowledge the blatant rule breaking was definitely below his usually inscrutable standards but when it came to Chris he bent a lot of rules.
‘I’m not encouraging any of this but do that.’ Jill scoffed and nodded. Wesker turned the page.
‘Next, your people relations skills. As you know, sometimes we need to put in some community service hours as part of the reach out R.P.D. program and-‘ A sudden ping cut him off and Wesker furrowed his eyebrows before falling silent. Jill looked mortified before rushing to fish out her phone out of her pocket.
‘Sorry. I thought I put it on silent.’ She hastened to correct her mistake and must have glanced at the screen long enough to catch her attention. She frowned a little before shoving the device back in her uniform pant pocket.
‘Everything alright?’ Wesker hadn’t missed the brief flash of confusion.
‘Yeah. It was just Chris. Probably looking to hang out later.’ Wesker paused. Chris wasn’t looking to hang out with Jill. They had plans that night and he’d left early to start dinner. Why would he text Jill though?...
‘Maybe you should see what he wants.’ Jill arched an eyebrow but retrieved her phone. She was one of the few who knew the two of them were in a relationship though Wesker couldn’t imagine anyone with eyes didn’t guess. Chris was shockingly bad at being sly, but nobody really gave a crap. As long as word didn’t reach the wrong official ears, Wesker couldn’t do anything about Chris’ transparency.
‘That’s odd… He wants me to tell you to check your phone?’ She looked bemused and Wesker rolled his eyes behind the shades. His phone was on silent and Chris knew that if he wasn’t responding to his texts or calls it meant he was in the middle of a meeting or otherwise occupied. Ever the troublemaker…
‘Would you mind? I understand it’s rude.’ Jill chuckled in good humour.
‘Go for it. We both know the more you say no to him the more persistent he gets. I’m in no hurry.’ Wesker nodded gratefully, already making a promise to give Chris a stern talking to for putting him in such an embarrassing situation. The other man better be on fire…
Wesker opened his phone and stared at the screen for a second. 13 unread texts?! That was a bit much, even for Chris and Wesker felt some worry colour his ire. His calls hadn’t been muted so if the other man had only texted it probably wasn’t an emergency but 13 still seemed… excessive. He glanced at the current time. 16.22. Chris had left the office at roughly half two and his first text was sent at half three which meant he’d been clamouring for Wesker’s attention for just under an hour. The blond had a bad feeling about this even before he opened the first message.
15:34
Hey, will this take all day or should I get dinner started early?
15:37
I’m hungry so I think I’ll raid the fridge.
15:38
Were you saving yesterday’s leftovers for yourself?
15:38
Too bad. I ate them…
15:45
I’m bored
15:46
I hope your phone’s on silent and you’re not just ignoring me.
15:47
When you get back can I get the dirt on the other guys? Did you make Brad cry again? You know he’s a wimp…
15:50
I’m still bored…
16:02
I’m starting dinner so get here before it goes cold.
16:10
How hungry are you?
16:12
Seriously, I need an answer before I start peeling potatoes
16:13
Wesker?.... CHECK YOUR PHONE ALREADY! What if this was an emergency?!
16:20
On a scale of three potatoes to seven potatoes, how hungry are you? … I’m calling Jill.
By the last message Wesker was just at a loss of words. Was he dating a child?! Chris was obviously messing around and trying, far too successfully, to get under his skin. He wanted Wesker’s attention and while he normally found this adorable, he knew not to do this during working hours. It was unprofessional.
‘You ok sir?’ Jill was very evidently holding back a smile. Wesker quickly schooled his expression back into impassivity rather than the exasperation he truly felt.
‘Yes. Chris is just being…’ Wesker trailed off but Jill nodded, understanding perfectly. ‘Let me quickly reply.’ She nodded.
16.22
Chris! Stop behaving like a child. I’m still at work and there are still two reviews to get through. If you’re hungry eat. Don’t wait for me.
Perhaps he’d been a little harsh but before Wesker could worry about it too much the responding bubble became active. Chris must have been waiting by the phone.
16:22
What if we skip dinner and go straight to dessert?
Wesker didn’t understand what the other man was talking about and he stared at the screen in open confusion. The responding bubble reappeared and Wesker waited, fully aware of Jill watching him. In all his years as an acting captain he hadn’t behaved so improper. Then again, in all his years he hadn’t dated someone like Chris before… Wesker supposed he was thankful the person sitting across from him was Jill, someone very acquainted with Chris’ antics. Finally, the new message was sent and it was a photo. Wesker would have to open it to view it and it only caused him more confusion but he pressed it before he knew better. He should have known better.
The man somehow managed to retain his composure but he was flabbergasted on the inside. He gawked at the picture which could only be called pornographic. He probably should snap his phone closed and pretend he hadn’t seen anything but he couldn’t stop staring. Chris was wearing nothing but and apron and he recognized his dinning table. The cheeky man stretched across it in a very suggestive way, showing far too much skin and what was hidden Wesker was immediately able to imagine. Chris was licking his lips and Wesker couldn’t begin to imagine where he’d learned to use such a lasciviously, inviting expression. The dark brown eyes stared right back at him, the pupils slightly blown with lust and Wesker felt pinned by them.
16:23
Come eat me captain…
‘Um… Sir?’ Wesker swallowed thickly and ripped his eyes from the phone screen, finally remembering Jill’s presence. He smacked the phone upside down on the table, perhaps a bit too rapidly and Jill widened her eyes a little. Compared to the average person he could still pass off as unperturbed but he struggling to push down the heat rising up his spine. God damn it Chris… Wesker didn’t get rattled easily but he’d forgotten what he and Jill had been talking about.
‘Yes. Yes… We were discussing…?’ Jill must have known he was shook and she found it amusing.
‘…People relations?’ Wesker nodded, his mind far away…in a kitchen… focused on a certain dining table… and the tasty dish beckoning him over.
‘Perfect. This concludes your review. Keep improving at the rate you are and I have nothing negative to say.’ Wesker was getting up before he finished talking and Jill followed, albeit at a less obviously hurried pace.
‘O-Okay… Thank you sir.’ Wesker reached for his jacket and followed Jill out of the office.
‘Everyone, you are dismissed early today. Anyone who is still waiting for a review, consider it handled. You’ve all performed very well and I have no notes. Keep up the good work.’ Jill snickered behind him but he didn’t stop. He was moving towards the elevator and nobody missed the strangeness of their captain’s hasty retreat. Nobody could recall a time when Wesker hadn’t personally addressed each and every one of their reviews, for better or worse. He also wasn’t known for letting them go home early though nobody was going to complain about that.
‘That was weird. Do you think everything’s alright?’ Barry joined Jill who looked like she’d opened a Christmas gift early.
‘Yeah. I think Chris was cooking today.’ Barry stared from the elevator to Jill, more confused now.
‘Is-Is he that good of a chef?’ Jill snorted.
‘No. But he knows how to prepare a tasty dish.’ Barry’s utter bewilderment was the thing which sent her over the edge and Jill’s burst into a fit of delighted laughter. Wesker probably heard some of it before he reached his car…
***
- Wesker gets catblocked.
Home sweet home. It was a cliché line but the sentiment endured the test of time for a reason. Wesker was very pleased to be standing before his door. He’d been gone for close to a week on an assignment across the country and though it hadn’t been the longest he’d been away it had still pulled at his heartstrings. He missed the comfort of the familiar, true. He missed his bed and his kitchen and his routine but he missed something above all else. He missed his boyfriend. He missed Chris and he knew the other man was waiting for him, probably antsy as hell for his arrival, just on the other side of the door.
Wesker twisted his key in the lock and he’d been absolutely correct. Chris’ head shot up like a dog awaiting the arrival of his owner and Wesker was certain if the man had a tail it’d be wagging. His chest swelled a little at the sight. He wasn’t the warmest person out there but he loved Chris and it was always reassuring when he was reminded that feeling was readily returned.
‘You’re back!’ Chris was dressed in a plain white tee and slacks and Wesker was willing to bet he’d been pacing around the apartment, just counting down the minutes all day. The younger man didn’t do moderation well and sitting around to just wait wasn’t natural for him. It didn’t help that Wesker’s flight had been delayed by four hours…
‘I’m home.’ Wesker smiled, a gesture which might even come off as mocking to some but he meant it as a sincere sign of joy. Chris got that and his mirroring grin was wide enough to split his face. He rushed at his captain and Wesker had to hastily drop his bag to catch the excited officer. ‘I’m starting to think you missed me?’
‘Shut up and kiss me.’ Wesker obliged, all too happy to taste Chris on his lips. He’d dreamed of this moment but the real thing was always far superior. Wesker drew the other man close against him, winding his arms around his waist. Chris deepened the kiss, clearly in no hurry to let Wesker go. ‘I missed you.’ Wesker chuckled but he kept the other man close.
‘I was only gone for a week.’ Chris pecked at his lips before feigning indignation.
‘So? Are you saying you didn’t miss me?’ Wesker’s fingers tightened a little in the material of his shirt.
‘I’m about to show you exactly how much I missed you.’ Wesker’s voice dropped to that dangerously sexy tone which immediately drew a shiver out Chris. The younger man licked his lower lip before biting it.
‘A whole week’s worth?’ Wesker chuckled and every syllable bounced through Chris like the vibration of a tunning fork.
‘Always so greedy… I spoil you too much.’ Chris made a sound close to a giggle and sought his lips again. Their mouth barely touched before it ended abruptly. An angry hissing caught the two’s attention and Wesker stared at the ground. He didn’t understand what he was looking at right away. There was a very pissed off, furry creature glaring straight at him while rubbing against Chris’ ankle.
‘Oh!... Um… While you were gone we got a cat.’ Wesker stared at the other man, obviously caught in a state of pure disbelief.
‘We?’ Chris shrugged but Wesker wasn’t ready to let the younger man coast on his cuteness this time. The cat hissed again and Chris took a step back, Wesker begrudgingly letting him disentangle himself from his hold. He watched as Chris bent down and picked up the grey intruder. The cat made no fuss when it found itself in Chris’ arms and rubbed its head against his chest.
‘Come on, you have to admit she’s cute.’ Chris held the animal out and as soon as her buttercup yellow eyes settled on Wesker, the cute factor was gone.
‘How did this happen? Explain.’ Chris hugged the cat back to his chest and it was like he’d flipped a switch in the feline’s feral brain. Even a blind man could see she held very little love for Wesker but changed her tune drastically when Chris focused on her.
‘Well, I guess we didn’t so much get her as she let herself in? Happened right after you left. She was in the guest room when I got back from work. Must have left the window open?’ They lived three stories up but that wasn’t too much of a hike for a determined cat.
‘And?’ Wesker sounded incensed because he was a little. Chris shrugged sheepishly and the cat started purring.
‘That’s pretty much it. I fed her and I don’t think she belongs to anyone since I couldn’t find anyone who recognized her. Took her to the vet and she’s healthy so…’ Chris looked at him with that puppy look of his which usually ended up with Wesker agreeing to do his chores for him. It was his kryptonite and unfortunately Chris knew it.
‘We’re not keeping the cat Chris.’ Wesker made his tone final but Chris batted his eye and Wesker knew he’d be the first to cave. It wasn’t like he hated cats… Though this one didn’t seem to share his acceptance.
‘Her name’s Whiskers.’ Chris obviously thought this was hilarious but Wesker didn’t share his sense of humour. ‘We have the space and you’re gone on a lot of missions so I get lonely.’ Wesker sighed and massaged his temple. This was not the welcome he’d hoped to get…
‘Chris, you can’t replace me with a cat.’ Chris scoffed and Wesker could see a little fiery rebellion creeping in. The man must have felt strongly about the furry pet. Whiskers. Stupid name.
‘I’m not planning to but I don’t think it’s a good idea to make me choose…’ Chris had that teasing hint to his voice but there was some iron there too and Wesker realized it wasn’t a good idea to push too strongly on this. At least not right then. For some reason, it was evident Chris had bonded with the purring feline. Whiskers seemed to know she’d won some sort of battle and if an animal could demonstrate smugness, she was doing so now.
‘This is ridiculous.’ Chris must have known as much but he didn’t seem too perturbed. Wesker sighed. ‘Alright. We keep the cat-‘
‘Whiskers.’ Chris interjected and she meowed her approval.
‘-We change her name.’ The brunette gasped but grinned. He’d won and he knew it. Why couldn’t Wesker say no to this infuriatingly chaotic man he’d allowed to take a hold of his heart?! ‘And we revisit the subject again at a later date.’ Wesker was buying himself some time but from how readily Chris nodded he was obviously confident in the final outcome. Wesker wished he shared his confidence but a part of him was already accepting that yes, they had a cat now.
‘Sure!’ Wesker ran a hand through his hair and took a step towards Chris.
‘Can you put her down and let me show you how much I missed you?’ Wesker made an effort to recapture the sparks which had been so close to starting a fire before the little thief stole Chris’ attention.
‘Oh yes. I think you were about to spoil me?...’ Wesker could almost taste him again and Chris smiled his encouragement. And then Whiskers hissed her rage, prompting Chris to step away. He glanced at the, once more purring, bundle in his arms curiously. ‘I think she’s hungry. Hold on.’ Wesker watched in barely vailed annoyance as his lover was taken away from him by a creature the size of his forearm. He wanted to throw that cat out the window…
As Chris turned towards the kitchen the cat twisted to lock eyes with the older man and Wesker knew if she could, she would laugh in his face…
***
- Chris suspects Wesker’s cheating.
‘Come on man! You can do this!’ Chris stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, putting his best look of determination on even if he felt like he was about to break down crying. He was still at work but it was super late, past midnight so pretty much everyone was gone home. He’d only loitered about because he knew Wesker would stay late to catch up on some work and he wanted to get some alone time with his captain.
Chris didn’t want to say what he needed to say to the other man at home because he knew exactly how that conversation would go. Wesker would deflect, avoid and distract Chris until they’d end up together in bed and Chris would go along with it because it was so much easier to believe the man’s lies than face the cruel reality. No, he needed to confront Wesker on neutral ground, somewhere where he could run away if things got too heavy. Depending on how this went, Chris was ready for the possibility of locking his partner out of their home too.
He glared at himself and knew his bravado was only surface deep. He fucking loved this man and trusted him. He’d stupidly assumed Wesker felt the same. He’d said as much and their relationship progressed far enough to move in together but it was painfully obvious Chris was a blind dummy. He’d suspected Wesker was up to something for close to a month but he’d done some truly impressive mental gymnastics to excuse his shady behaviour because he loved the blonde and he didn’t want to accept the cruel truth.
But enough was enough. There was only so much running away he could do before it became pathetic. Many assumed Chris was as tough on the inside as on the outside but those close to him knew how soft his heart really was. When he trusted someone with it, he wasn’t fucking about. He’d trusted Wesker with the most vulnerable, debilitating side of him and the man was pushing knives into his back with every lie he told. Well, that would end today. Chris needed to hear Wesker admit it.
Chris sucked in a breath and stormed towards Wesker’s office. He knew the man would be there, reading over the weekly reports, or at least that’s what he told Chris. He’d been spending a lot of hours ‘at work’ and never wanted Chris to help out which was weird. Wesker used to always encourage him to spend more time on his paperwork but now he seemed to actively seek out ways to distance himself from Chris. It was starting to get hard to explain away… Wesker would also go sometimes the whole night and when he’d return, Chris would always notice he wore fresh clothes and smelled like he’d just taken a shower. Wesker always sidestepped his questions. He’d claim that he’d been caught up in work or Irons needed him for something and he changed at work in the interest of saving time. Nothing nefarious… But then why lie? Chris had spent enough time with the man to tell.
Chris suspected the person Wesker was seeing on the side was someone from the precinct because of the sheer amount of hours Wesker was putting in overtime. Though he supposed the man could have just as easily driven to a different location… And Wesker had to be cheating! That was the only thing Chris was sure about. The man was honest to a fault and called things out straight even when it was really dickish to do so but he continued to lie to Chris when he voiced very valid worries. True, he'd never had the guts to just come out and accuse Wesker of infidelity but he’d more or less convinced himself of it. He just needed Wesker to finally own up to it. Chris hurried his steps before he could change his mind again because he knew the admission would crack his heart.
‘Wesker.’ The man was staring at a piece of paper and he clearly hadn’t expected Chris to be there. He wasn’t wearing his sunglasses for once and Chris could see how tired the man was. It almost made him retreat or go to comfort him but Chris tapped into his furious pain and glared daggers at the surprised blonde instead.
‘Chris? Why are you still here? I though you’d left hours ago.’ Wesker placed the paper back on the table, facedown and Chris stared at it briefly. He knew there was something there Wesker was making an effort to hide from him and it was yet more salt on his open wound.
‘Yeah, bet you’d like that. Tell me, was all of it a lie or am I just that big of an idiot?’ Chris was raging and his chest hurt but he stopped just short of yelling. Wesker blinked in utter confusion.
‘What is this about? What lie-?’
‘Stop! Just… stop! I know alright? Stop lying to me!’ Chris’ voice had the hint of a tremor in it but hell if he was going to break down into tears now! Wesker blinked some more and stood slowly, his sharp eyes firmly locked on Chris’. He sighed and ran a hand through his uncharacteristically untidy hair. If that wasn’t a giveaway to the man’s exhaustion then Chris didn’t know what was. He guessed leading a double life wasn’t easy.
‘Chris… How did you find out? Did you tell anyone else?’ Chris widened his eyes. He wanted Wesker to fess up but he didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. There was that hurt. Wesker was a powerful force during their sparing workouts and Chris felt like he’d just sucker punched him now with those questions.
‘Tell anyone?! What the fuck Wesker? Are you seriously worried about your precious reputation?! You fucking cheated on me! And I know because you’re not that fucking good at covering your tracks!’ Chris was shouting now and that tremor was harder to ignore. He knew his eyes were wet.
‘Wait… Cheated? Chris…’ Wesker wasn’t surprised easily but he looked positively shocked now and he was cautiously approaching the distraught brunette. Chris held up his hand but Wesker continued very slowly nearing his partner.
‘Don’t, ok? You’ve been acting strange for weeks now and I know you’ve been lying to me. I’m not the smartest but come on! How little do you think of me?... Why would you do this to me?...’ Tears began rolling down his cheeks and he choked on the painful question. He’d held back as much as he could but Chris had been pushing those hurtful emotions down for too long. It really wasn’t a surprise the dam was breaking now. Wesker was almost beside him and he reached out his hands to carefully touch Chris’ shaking halting ones. He was behaving as if Chris was a wild animal who would bolt at the first sign of danger. It was working too. Chris let Wesker rub his hands up his arms, all the while hating himself for drawing joy from the warm comfort.
‘Chris, listen to me. You’re wrong.’ Chris glared at Wesker who quickly continued speaking before Chris had a chance. ‘I have been lying but I would never chat on you. I love you.’ They had said the L word to one another plenty of times in the past but Wesker rarely said it first. He tended to prove his devotion through his actions… Well, Chris had though so anyway.
‘Don’t say that… Just tell me the truth! I deserve that much at least!...’ Wesker nodded and drew the man closer against him. Chris allowed it but stopped before the large arms could circle him in a hug. He wouldn’t be derailed this time. He’d come too far to let Wesker weasel out of the confession this time.
‘You’re right, I own you an explanation. I’m not cheating. There’s nobody else but you Chris. I need you to believe that. I have however, been keeping a secret from you. I would have told you sooner if I suspected you were hurting this badly.’ Wesker’s voice held sincerity to it, enough for Chris to stop crying and listen closely. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and waited for his Captain to resume.
‘You know we’ve been investigating the dealings of the pharmaceutical corporation, known as Umbrella, under suspicion of fraud?’ Chris had not expected that. It was his turn to blink like an idiot.
‘Wh-What has that got to do with anything?...’
‘Well, as you know we’ve had some trouble getting the necessary proof to expose them so we decided to create a smaller taskforce and send someone undercover.’ Chris shook his head, his mouth opening and closing in confusion.
‘Who’s we?’ Chris hadn’t heard any of this before. As far as he knew, the investigation was still ongoing but it was true that proof was scarce. Frankly, he wasn’t assigned to that particular investigation so Chris’ knowledge was limited.
‘Barry and myself. I’ve been investigating the corrupt company from the inside by pretending to spy on the R.P.D.’
‘Hold on… You’ve been working undercover?’ Wesker nodded. ‘All those times you spent at the office….’
‘…I was meeting with Umbrella contacts. This case is a lot worse than we ever anticipated. Umbrella absolutely needs to be taken down but they have been far too good at covering their tracks. I was planning on involving the entire S.T.A.R.S. force over the next week. I’m sorry I kept this from you.’ It wasn’t unusual for them to have certain missions the other didn’t know about, well it wasn’t unusual for Wesker to have his secrets. The man was a captain so he was directly responsible for Chris but that was a one way street. But this was the first time their work life interfered with their personal life…
‘You trusted Barry…’ Chris wasn’t angry anymore but he was still confused. There was some relief in there at finding Wesker wasn’t throwing him to the curb but Chris’ mind was full of too many emotions to focus on that alone. He sounded a little petulant because he was. He loved Barry, like an uncle, but it made no sense to him why Wesker would choose to lie to him, his lover, and confide in Barry!
‘I couldn’t do this alone.’ Wesker said it like it made sense and Chris narrowed his eyes. Maybe he wasn’t entirely over his anger just yet.
‘So why the fuck didn’t you come to me?!’ Wesker sighed and when he pulled Chris against him, the other man didn’t fight at all. He felt the comfortable way the blonde’s arms twisted around his waist but he was still glaring at Wesker, albeit his bite didn’t have any fangs left. Wesker sighed and rubbed his thumb across Chris’ cheek, catching a forgotten tear.
‘Chris, you have many talents and you are my best man in most operations but…’ He trailed off.
‘But?’
‘You can’t lie at all.’ Chris immediately opened his mouth to fight the accusation but he seemed to think better of it. Yeah, okay… Wesker rarely if ever assigned him to an undercover mission because of this exact reason. ‘If I’d have known you were entertaining such outlandish thoughts through… Why didn’t you come to me with your worries sooner? Why did you choose to suffer in silence?’ Wesker knew Chris had noticed something amiss for some time but he could have never imagined how baseless Chris’ imagination would get. Perhaps he wasn’t as bad at keeping secrets as he’d thought…
‘Because…What if it was true?! I didn’t want to hear it, okay? I love you and I wasn’t ready to know you didn’t…’ A blush rushed across Chris cheeks and Wesker felt his heart melt. This silly, silly, perfect man was the centre of his whole world and it absolutely killed him to know he’d been the cause of his pain.
‘Listen to me Chris.’ Wesker waited until the other man’s attention was firmly on him. ‘I will never betray you. I love you.’ Chris had to suck in a breath from the sheer force of the words. Wesker hadn’t raised his voice but he might as well have roared his declaration. He nodded because he believed every single syllable absolutely. In hindsight, thinking Wesker would ever hurt him so horribly was laughable. He wasn’t quite there yet but he was sure the two of them would joke about his comical lapse in judgement one day. Wesker did say he had a tendency to overthink… Fortunately the other man was usually there to stop him from spinning all the way off a cliff’s edge but Chris hadn’t allowed him to aid him this time.
‘I love you too…’ Chris answered sheepishly, feeling quite foolish and deflated now that all the warring emotions were finally settling down. Wesker kissed him briefly but sweetly, his way of putting the whole mess behind them and let Chris go.
‘You should go on ahead. I still have some loose ends to tie up here but I’ll join you shortly.’ Chris noted the bags under Wesker’s eyes, usually hidden by his glasses and furrowed his braws.
‘I can help.’ Wesker gave him an honest, albeit tired smile and shook his head.
‘I appreciate the offer but it would take time to explain everything and I don’t think I have the energy tonight. I’d much rather have you witing for me when I get home?’ Chris was hesitant but he nodded. What Wesker said made sense and he couldn’t deny he was exhausted himself. Chris didn’t think he was in the proper state of mind to retain new information and he knew he’d be more of a hinderance than a helper.
‘If that will help…’ He offered a cheeky smile, a little smaller than his usual bright one but it got the message across and he could immediately see Wesker’s eyes stir with interest.
‘More than you know.’
‘Don’t stay too long.’ Wesker promised not to and Chris left him to it. He almost felt giddy by the time he reached his car. Chris hadn’t realized how heavy the burden of his fears had been. Wesker loved him. And he loved Wesker. He’ll never make the mistake of forgetting that again.