Trapped!

Note:- Here's my first ever Resident Evil story! It's set in my own universe where the mansion incident and the events that follow didn't happen. S.T.A.R.S are still up and running and Leon's a cop in the R.P.D. So, apart from that, there's nothing else for me to say apart from a warning that this has slash undertones to it. Enjoy!

Chris Redfield grumbled to himself as he stamped up the stairs of Raccoon City's library. The S.T.A.R.S operative had been in a bad mood ever since Captain Wesker had asked him to carry out some research at the library earlier that morning. He hadn't gone through months on intensive training to sit on his ass and flip through books! He sighed deeply as he wrenched the doors open. There was something about Captain Wesker that Chris didn't like. He didn't trust the older man and when Jill had asked him to elaborate on it, all he could come up with was that he didn't trust the way Wesker always seemed to be wearing those sunglasses. Jill had simply laughed at him and Barry had made some sarcastic comment about Chris' amazing detective skills. Chris snorted as he walked through the library's main desk area, his black trainers squeaking on the marbled floor. He dug around the pockets of his jeans for the list of books that Wesker had given him. After a good few seconds of searching, he finally produced the list from the pocket of his green hooded top. Great. The books he needed were in the history section which; if he remembered rightly, was on the library's top floor. He'd pretty much just gotten off a long and arduous shift and now he had to climb god knows how many stairs. He glanced over at the library's lift; which was just to his left. He supposed he could always take the lift but that posed its own problems.

Chris had never told anyone that he was actually quite claustrophobic, very claustrophobic actually…the small, cramped S.T.A.R.S office was about his limit. His sister Claire was the only person who knew about it and it had always been a source of amusement for her. Chris Redfield, hotshot marksman and ex-fighter pilot was scared of small spaces. He remembered her asking him why, if was so damn claustrophobic then why didn't a cockpit bother him? Chris had replied that you could see out of a cockpit but something like a lift where you were just surrounded by four walls…

"Get a grip Redfield" Chris muttered to himself, pressing the call button for the lift. He was tired and hungry and he really didn't fancy walking up all of those stairs. He needed to get this damn research over and done with…

Chris watched as the lift ascended from the library's basement. He steeled himself by taking a few deep breaths. He could do this, it wasn't that bad, he could do this, it wasn't that bad…the lifts doors opened and Chris blinked. He recognised the guy that was standing in the lift. It was Leon Kennedy. He'd just recently been assigned to the R.P.D from New York. Fresh out of the academy and ready to prove himself. He was also incredibly hot, especially in that dark jeans, black t-shirt and leather jacket combo…Chris the same odd pang in his stomach that he'd felt when he'd first seen Leon in the corridors of the R.P.D building. That strange warm, fuzzy feeling that was quickly followed by the desire to knock the younger man to the floor and ravish him.

Leon Kennedy…

Chris' stomach took another, more unpleasant, dip. Rumours spread like wildfire round the R.P.D building and rumour had it that Leon was involved with someone, some gorgeous hunk-of-man helicopter pilot called Mike.

"Are you coming in"? Leon asked, brushing his reddish brown hair out of his eyes. It was an incredibly sexy gesture, at least Chris thought so, and it was that that made his mind up. He was going to go into that lift. There was no way he was going to look a coward in front of Leon.

"Floor seven" Chris said, nodding at the array of buttons by Leon's hip. Leon smiled at him and pressed the button marked '7'. There was a 'ping!' and the doors slid closed. Chris swallowed hard, suddenly sweating with fear. He was fighting to control his desire to suddenly stop the lift and get the hell out. He knew that Leon was watching him out of the corner of his eye and it made him stupidly nervous. He sighed deeply, he was in the damn thing now, and he would just have to put up with it, manage it. He watched as the digital display on the button panel rolled through the floor numbers.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five…

The lift juddered suddenly, and then stopped dead. Chris waited for the doors to slide open, assuming that they were picking someone up on this floor. The door, however, didn't open.

"Oh no"! He heard Leon hiss furiously. "The lift's stopped"! The younger man stalked past him and stared at the doors in dismay.

"Stopped"? Chris was painfully aware that his voice had risen violently in pitch. Leon gave him an odd look so Chris cleared his throat quickly, hoping that the younger man would pass off his squeaky voice as some sort of sudden throat defect.

"Doesn't look like these are opening any time soon" Leon said, examining the doors. Chris was really beginning to sweat now.

"Can't we get out"? He asked, aware that his voice still wasn't at its usual deep and manly pitch.

"Of course we can't" Leon replied, throwing Chris yet another odd look. "The lift's stuck" He made his way over to the button panel and opened a small flap, pulling out the emergency phone. Chris was doing his damnedest to not completely panic. He was Chris Redfield! He was in S.T.A.R.S! He shouldn't have to deal with stupid things like random lift malfunctions. And he definitely shouldn't have to be stuck in a lift with some hot guy who was completely unattainable. It could be worse however; he could be stuck here with Wesker, creepy, weirdo, sunglasses wearing Wesker.

Leon hung up the phone. It looked as if they were going to be in for a long wait. He was annoyed but he tried not to mind so much. He vaguely recognised the other guy who was sharing this predicament as Chris something, one of the S.T.A.R.S members. He didn't really know much else about him apart from that. The S.T.A.R.S were a pretty elite force and largely kept themselves to themselves. He turned round to explain the situation regarding the lift and was shocked to see that Chris was now slumped in a corner of the lift, red in the face and sweating, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"Are you alright?" Leon cast a concerned eye over the older man. It looked as if he was struggling not to have a panic attack.

"F…f…fine…" Chris replied. Why was his chest getting so tight all of a sudden? His spiked hair was beginning to flop over his forehead from the profuse sweat. Since when did it become so hot in here?

"You look like you're boiling" He heard Leon say. "You should take your hoodie off," He suggested helpfully.

"Strip"? Chris looked at him, wide-eyed. "You shouldn't be telling people to strip, you're with Mike"! Okay, so he knew he sounded ever so slightly psychotic but he needed something to get his mind off the fact that the lift seemed to be getting smaller and smaller. Leon raised an eyebrow and leant against the lift's wall. He looked so effortlessly cool, as if this whole situation wasn't bothering him in the slightest. Chris wiped another film of sweat from his forehead. He was going to kill Captain Albert Wesker! He couldn't take it anymore; those walls were definitely closing in. There was no point in hiding his fear from Leon anymore, especially not after that stripping comment.

"Fuck! We're trapped! Look Leon, I need to get out of here…now" He reached out and grabbed Leon's forearm in what could only be described as a death grip. "I…I'm claustrophobic…I really have to get the hell out of here"

"It's ok" Leon said softly, kneeling down beside Chris on the polished floor. He gently prised Chris' fingers off his forearm. The man had a pretty strong grip. "We can't get out right now, we're going to have to wait until they fix the lift" When Leon had woken up this morning and clambered out of bed, never in a million years did he think he would be consoling Chris Redfield in a tiny lift in the Raccoon City Central Lending Library. Luckily, Leon was used to dealing with phobias. His mother was utterly terrified of spiders and his sister had a thing about birds. "We could try something that might help, would you be up for that?"

"Sure" Chris replied shakily. He pulled off his hoodie and used the sleeve to wipe his forehead.

"Ok, close your eyes" Leon commanded. "Now, just try and relax," He continued in a much softer, almost hypnotic, tone. "You're not trapped, we're…we're in the R.P.D building, in the main hallway…it's huge isn't it? All those doors…it's so huge it's got a balcony and that massive statue, you can barely see the ceiling, it's so far above us…I'm standing by that statue and you're right there with me" Leon glanced at Chris. His words seemed to be working. Chris' eyes were tightly closed but his breathing was definitely starting to slow down. "Your friend's right over there, by the doors that lead to the waiting room, what's her name"?

"Jill" Chris answered quietly.

"Yeah, Jill" Leon nodded even though Chris' couldn't see. The older man seemed a lot calmer now. "I bet if you shouted her name it would echo. It's nice in here, way nicer than the building in New York. I think I'll be happy here, it seems really safe"

"Safe" Chris whispered. "You promise? I don't want to be trapped"

"You're not trapped Chris" Leon replied adamantly. "You're totally safe here with me" He didn't know if it was the calming atmosphere that he'd created or something else, but Leon was feeling sort of…content. He only hoped that Chris was feeling the same. It was strange but he could clearly imagine more moments just like this with the older man; in bed, first thing in the morning, with the sun rising and the two of them laying there, just happy in each other's company. Or perhaps last thing at night, just after sex…Leon reached out, his fingertips almost brushing the skin of Chris' cheek…

The lift jolted and, with a whirring mechanical noise, began to move up again. Shocked into reality, Leon leapt to his feet. Chris' opened his eyes, letting out a relieved sigh as he realised that the lift was moving once again. The fear was almost gone now and the second the doors opened for the seventh floor, Chris threw himself out into freedom, glorious freedom!

"Are you alright sir"? One of the library's staff members was standing by the lift, looking at him anxiously. Chris realised that he probably looked a real sight. He shrugged and wiped his forehead.

"Yeah, yeah, sure…not sure I'll be going back in that lift in a hurry though…" His thoughts suddenly turned to Leon and he looked around.

Leon was gone.

Leon sat down on one of the wooden benches that was a short distance from the library. He felt a complete and utter fool. What the hell had gotten into him? He'd been a mere nanosecond away from kissing Chris Redfield! He was pretty sure the guy wasn't even gay! He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been. He felt a vibration in his jeans pocket and pulled out his mobile phone. Mike was texting him, reminding him to pick up some milk on the way home. He sighed deeply, hauling himself off the bench and pocketing his phone. He zipped up his leather jacket and, shaking his head at himself, made his way to the store.

The End.