Complete and utter crack. This obviously isn't how I really see Piers, but I thought it'd be funny, y'know? What if, man!? Anyways, enjoy!
It all started with Chris back in Edonia when Piers really thought about it. He couldn't pinpoint when exactly, but he knew it had been on that mission.
Piers would have loved to say he felt just as badly as Chris did, but truth be told, he didn't carry the same responsibility as Chris. He'd never admit to his own personal failings on that mission, the most crucial one being to keep watch of Ada Wong. Finn's job had been to protect her. There was indeed a difference.
But Piers had a problem. He would never tell anyone and it may have been a problem that preceded his enlistment with the BSAA. He even managed to divert any attention being drawn to it in the psychiatric evaluation during the enlistment process.
"You're the rookie, huh?"
"Yes, sir. Finn Macauley, sir."
It hadn't exactly begun with Finn, and probably had to do with his admiration for Chris at the time.
"I know you're nervous, Finn, but the team's got your back. Okay?"
"Yes, sir! I'll give this everything I've got!"
And Piers honestly didn't blame the rookie who garnered some of the captain's affection. It's just that when Chris gave a reassuring pat to Finn's shoulder, something twinged inside of Piers.
Despite having these exact same problems in the past, it was only then that he realized he was jealous.
He had always been the expert marksman and Chris' right hand man in their squad, not that Finn had excelled in firearms usage anyway. He had felt like a co-captain to the team.
But Finn had later proved himself extremely useful to their mission in Edonia with his expert knowledge of pyrotechnics. As his envy grew, Piers (shamefully) found he had no choice at times than to rely on the younger man. Some routes leading to their destinations would have otherwise been impassible without Finn.
It didn't help that Finn kept proving him self time and time again, for instance on the bridge.
Piers had made quick work of the J'avo attempting to hide in the darkened corridors, so he had witnessed the exchange between the other two soldiers.
He saw as Finn pulled Chris up after the tank had fired, saw as Finn tended to their injured comrade's wounds. Chris had thanked him, of course. His sniper scope had probably lingered on his captain longer than it should have as Chris directed his men. The BSAA agent accompanying and meant to assist Piers eyed him suspiciously as Piers scoped Finn out in a seemingly menacing way, trigger finger on the ready. Piers had only frowned as Finn had joked, "They're bringing out the big guns for us." Classy. That had barely been a decent pick-up li- err, quip.
Yeah, so maybe Piers had a tiny thing for his captain. It was barely anything. Along with his admiration for Chris' reputation and skill, he had noted that the man was, for all intents and purposes, a good looking guy. A minute detail. Piers didn't even really swing that way. Probably just a passing crush.
Needless to say, Piers had begun to snipe his ass off. Any J'avo that even looked at Chris ceased to have a head in the next moment. Chris had thrown a compliment or two over their frequency, but it wasn't as if Piers was trying to prove anything to anyone. That would just be immature.
It would have been immature to relegate anyone to a lesser standing just because you were in a bad mood, and yet-
"To fight bioterrorism, sir."
"I know what we're here for, rookie."
Granted, it may not have been the best time to remind the seasoned BSAA operative of that fact. Their presence during the civil war was telling enough.
Piers still felt bad about it later, especially after their team was mutated into Napads. But in a darker part of him, he felt gratification by the fact that the competition for his captain's attention was somewhat thinned.
In China, when Chris regained some of his memories of Finn and the others, Piers noted the radical change in attitude almost immediately. He then questioned his darker feelings, which he had no problem confronting six months after the fact.
Everyone on the team was pushed to the limit when the snake-like BOW had attacked. What Chris might've considered to be a "Good job" was demoted to "I guess that was good."
Piers understood, though. It was almost a repeat of what had happened in Edonia. Only this was a different and changed man leading the team, and the BOW as compared to Ada was more insidious in its efforts.
The harder Piers fought, the more Chris took.
"Try to be quicker!"
The young sniper would be lying if he said there wasn't a certain amount of thrill he got out of all of it. He wasn't sure when his admiration and crush had turned into full blown lust and attraction for his commanding officer, but at that point, he didn't care.
The feeling of delight Piers got of a challenge Chris presented every time Piers fulfilled a task with perfection. Every irritated bark of an order, every begrudging huff of approval.
Despite the team's unfortunate demise (again), Piers began to see it as a game of survival. In the end, he would win, he had already done it before. He would do it again.
This mission had revealed his manipulative tendencies to only himself, and Piers saw no problem with it. He knew Chris' failings and frustrations were leading up to something, and he wanted to see just what it would be.
After Marco's death, Piers had seen Chris at his angriest and at his weakest. Chris never learned, it seemed. Or maybe he had just been conditioned to be easily intimidated or bated. Piers knew what buttons to press to get the rise he wanted out of Chris. He knew it would only hurt more for Chris because it was all just the truth, and it was a jolt of grief to his captain's system.
And Piers would be damned if that Ada bitch siphoned off all of that frustration Chris had for herself. She hadn't earned anything, that much was for certain.
"Shut up," Chris muttered.
"Do you even care about our mission anymore?"
"SHUT UP!"
"I feel sorry for all the men who died believing in you!" Because they never got to see the fruition of my devious, slightly libido fueled plans.
And sure enough, Chris thrust Piers up against the wall, an angry snarl on his face. But Piers didn't relent. He pushed right back.
"What happened to the legendary Chris Redfield, huh?! What happened to you?"
And then, just when Piers knew Chris would think the worst of the beating to his pride was over, he added with smug satisfaction and an unmatched facade, "It's a good thing Finn's not around to see you this way."
Right below the belt.
It earned him a look of anguish and a hard shove. It was a start.
"I'm going after Ada Wong."
There was that tramp's name again. He had survived past everyone else to stand by his captain's side, if only for purely selfish purposes. And here she was, stealing all that hate and misplaced energy. There was so much potential, and he couldn't see it go to waste. Not after all his work.
"HQ, this is Alpha Leader. I need a location on Ada Wong…"
"I'm going with you." Piers practically interrupted. "Someone's gotta keep an eye on you whether you want them to or not."
It wasn't a lie, but then it was a lie. At least for the reasons Chris might have perceived.
Chris had nothing left to say. He walked towards the exit of the condemned building.
Piers swore to himself that by the end of the night, he would be in his captain's pants. For the time being, he quelled the uncomfortable erection in his fatigues and with an unseen smirk, followed Chris out.