- Heartbeat -
Chris Redfield x Piers Nivans ; Slash
Yep, English is not my native language, so sorry for any mistakes you see and feel free to correct them. I'm practicing with a description part (which is really hard for me). By the way, thank you for your reading!
P.S. I do not own Capcom or Resident Evil, how sad...
- 01 -
Piers Nivans didn't mean to curse out loud, but he couldn't stop himself when he saw his bullet missed the target.
Other soldiers might say that last shot was the best shot they had ever seen, but unfortunately, Piers didn't feel the same. About a hundred metres far from where he stood, a bold concrete block, 250 mm. wide and strong enough to be a bunker for any war in the world, broke into pieces. Yes, it broke, but that was because of the power of the Anti-Material rifle he used, not because of how good he was as a sniper. Piers realized that he missed the middle of the block which he aimed for. He was satisfied in a name of a good soldier, but not in a name of "the man who never missed the target"
Piers reloaded the bullets and took the aim again. Somehow, the mistake he saw through the sniper lens pissed him off. The soldier put the gun down with a frown on his face. He should admit that he was a perfectionist. That mistake was such a burden that he wanted to erase it away, right, he had to aim for another shoot to prove that he wouldn't miss the target again.
His hands were trembled. Did he practice too long? The Anti-Material rifle wasn't a rifle for a stand-up-shooting to begin with.
Suddenly, a large hand took a firm grip on his shoulder. Piers stopped his index finger from pulling the trigger just in time. He rested an earmuff on his neck while turning his head to see who was interrupting him. Blinking, a strong-built man he wasn't sure if he had seen before was standing right next to him. He was at least ten years older than Piers, for sure. His tanned skin seemed rough just like the other soldiers. His hair was short and dark. Then his eyes - oh God - those sharp eyes were shining in the most gentle way Piers never expected from a man in the army.
Yet, that strong hand made him feel so fragile. It was the first time Piers thought that he might be too skinny for a war out there.
"Is there anything I could do for you, sir?"
Piers asked politely but he couldn't stop his eyebrow to frown. That man released his shoulder then stepped back, waving hand in the air and gave him a genuine smile.
"It's nothing. Sorry for disturbing you," he answered, "Just take another shot, you're good at it."
Piers blinked again. He looked around without moving his head to make sure that there were just the two of them. Nobody was around. Then why and who…?
Oh, forget it. He didn't want to meddle with someone else's business to begin with, he thought while covering his ears with an earmuff and picked his gun up to the position again.
Two bullets screamed through the air, two concretes scattered into pieces. Somehow, his hands stopped shaking.
"Piers Nivans!"
Suddenly, a low-deep voice went right through his ears from the behind, sharp enough for Piers to startled like hell. He faced the other man then saluted promptly before he had thought of anything.
That man grinned.
"Not bad."
"Uh… yes, sir?" Then he saw that gentle sight in those sharp eyes again. Why did a guy in the army would throw a gentle look for another soldier? Come on, he wasn't a kid anymore. "Well… urm… is there anything I can help, sir?"
Another gentle laughter came as an answer. Piers started to feel like a goddamn brat who didn't know anything about the world. What was happening? Did that guy hint something he missed? Okay, he was sure that this guy right in front of him was a high rank. He got a voice those high ranks had; the voice that sent shivers down his spine, then straight right to his arm in order to swing up as a salutation.
The next words seemed softer as the officer asked, "So you are Piers Nivans, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"How long have you used that rifle?"
"Urm… It's been a while, sir."
There was a sparkle in the older guy's eyes as if he was so satisfied with the answer. Piers was confused. What exactly was the point of this conversation again?
"You're good."
Piers wasn't sure how he should respond.
"I know this is not a proper thing to ask, but excuse me," without realizing it, he frowned again, "How did you know me, sir?"
"I've been watching you for a while. I haven't introduced myself, huh?" Oh my, another grin. "I'm Chris Redfield, from the B.S.A.A."
Piers almost forgot how to breathe at that second - right - he knew he had saw this face somewhere before. The legendary Chris Redfield.
"Do you have any interest to join my team, Nivans?"
And Piers' heart skipped a beat for the first time in his life.
Chris Redfield was a legend since he took Albert Wesker down. The government didn't want people to know about any zombie things but sure the military knew. The rumour spread quickly through every soldier even they had nothing to do with bioterrorism. The most important part was that right now, he was actually work in the B.S.A.A., under the legend he always looked up for since he joined the military field.
Yet, legend was just a legend.
Some weeks passed, Piers had learnt how his new captain truly was. The living legend was only an ordinary man just like himself. Chris wasn't a hero from the movies or any great man from the fairy tales. Sure he could pissed off, get angry, and being tired as hell; especially after an argument with others high ranks and Command.
And there was something called "paperwork".
Piers tried his best to keep the professional look on his face while entering the officer's room.
"What the hell-" Chris, sitting behind the desk full of mountains of papers, seemed to be shocked when he saw another lot of paperwork in Piers' arms. He looked like nothing better than some drained plants in a desert. "C'mon, Nivans. You're kidding me?"
"No, sir. Command asked me to send you these reports. They need them before dusk."
Chris groaned in protest, "I supposed that a cup of coffee isn't inhibited here, right?"
Piers placed all new reports on the desk, readjusted the other messed up paperwork.
"Not until this one is finished, sir."
"Just one cigarette won't-"
"After these are done, sir."
So that was the final answer. Piers stood back a bit, knowing sighing in front of his officer was not appropriate but he still wanted to do once in a lifetime. His shoulders were stiffed and his back felt nothing but pain. Not because of the long time he stood for sure, the fact was, he bared too much stress on it. How the hell he wouldn't, tough?
Chris Redfield had broken his role model's perfect image just because of paperwork.
On the field, the captain was certainly God. Piers respected him with all his heart, maybe his life either. If Chris could throw anything to fight for the world, he also could do the same. Everybody following his back and in his watch would never be left behind, as important as one of his family. Despite everything Chris did on the field, it had nothing to do with the other kind of work.
Not only Chris who was bored of paperwork, Piers also was. What made him differ from his captain was the sniper couldn't pretend that the work was already finished while it wasn't. He never thought of being this close to his idol, but he never thought that he had to observe Chris like he was five either.
Well, no one told him to attend this duty in the first place, tough.
"Nivans."
Chris' voice pulled him out of his thought, "Yes, sir?"
"Get some rest. You don't have to stand there and wait for me. I'm not going anywhere."
"It's alright, sir," Piers responded promptly, knowing that his captain couldn't be trusted in a time like this, "I have to send Command those reports for you after all."
Piers didn't change his facial expression a bit and it worked. Chris might roll his eyes but he stopped whining. Kept his boredom deep inside, Piers stood quietly waiting for his captain. He knew that Chris needed a few minutes to concentrate. The sniper waited until he was sure Chris was all good before stepping back, leaving the room as quiet as he could.
The soldier dragged himself to a coffee corner at the end of the corridor. Officers here usually almost died from lack of caffeine, everyday and every night during work time. Right now, his captain was one of them, dying beneath those papers. Nicotine would help either but cigarette smoke made him thirsty, so a cup of coffee was a better choice.
Two tablespoons of coffee powder, one cube of sugar.
There was one click sound from a spoon touching a brim of a mug after he let it free. Black liquid was stirring in a small whirl, then gradually became still as the soldier walked back. Silently, he entered the room, right straight to the desk full of papers.
Chris looked up with a surprise when the coffee cup was put in front of him. Piers' heart skipped a beat when their eyes met. Chris looked at him like he was some kind of oasis in the middle of Sahara desert.
Gosh. He didn't want his heart to beat this fast right now. He had to stay calm so he could let it squeezed so hard in the field, somewhere his captain had every right to be perfect, to be a God whom everybody could fell for his coolness. It wasn't supposed to beat like he had run a hundred miles just because of his captain's gestures in such an ordinary situation.
Yet, he was still Chris Redfield. No matter how good or bad he was, Chris was always the same Chris who made him…
"Thanks, Piers."
A husky voice. Not even gentle or sweet but full of sincerity. Piers wanted to clench his left chest so bad to decrease his heartbeat rate. He almost forgot how to breathe when his first name had slipped out those chapped lips, as if he was always called by that.
Piers gave him a nod instead of a fine answer. Command would look down for him or not, he had to quit this duty as soon as he could. What excuse should he use? Claiming that his heart couldn't bare this anymore?
Crap. His heartbeat was still racing.
Goddamn heart.
A/N: In fact, this is already the end. The second part will be Chris' perspective. I'm not sure how long it'll take but I'll do my best! XD