VII

[1997]

It has been a year since Wesker became the captain of the S.T.A.R.S Alpha team. Nobody knew what he was really up to after he quit his position at Umbrella. He needed to grow and expand when he took the job—he needed every chance he can get to have more power and surpass the corporation. In the meantime, he acted just like every leader who had nothing out of the ordinary. His team conducted little missions and rescue operations, and he was good at it. He had no formal training in shooting guns, but his shooting skills wasn't far from the RPD's best marksman, Chris Redfield, who always seemed distracted everytime he talked to him. What distracted Wesker, though, was the fact that he still can't get over the day when William told him that he's going to get married. His mind drifted back on that one particular rainy day thirteen years ago…

William came up to him crying while he confessed that he got his current lab partner, Annette, pregnant. During that time, Wesker shifted to another position as an information officer and had left William's side. He didn't want to, but looking back he regretted to leave him because of what might happen, and the thing that he feared the most was now unfolding right before his very eyes.

He kept a straight face while William clung on to him, "Albert… I'm so sorry! I was careless and stupid, and now her parents wouldn't allow us to get away unwed," he sobbed, "I was a little drunk at that time, I swear it wasn't anything romantic, Al!"

Wesker didn't say anything and looked straight ahead. His heart crumbled to pieces inside his chest and he was silently fuming with anger. The love that he once felt towards the younger man was now washed away by hatred, "leave me now, William, before I lay a finger on you," he warned as he clenched his fists so tight that his palms almost bled.

"Albert, please, just hear me out! Can we just talk this over?"

"I don't want to hurt you, William. We have no more to talk about. Goodbye."

William felt defeated. His pride didn't do anything much this time, and left out in his misery, he stood up and left his anguished lover. It was all entirely his fault; if only he hadn't been so careless, if only he had been much stronger against temptation, if only… it wasn't too late to turn things around. He kept crying though, and covered his mouth to muffle out the sounds as he walked along the dark hallway back to his lab. He wouldn't be able to work properly like this.

Wesker, on the other hand, felt something warm in his eyes that flowed across his cheeks. He couldn't hold himself back anymore, and tears started rolling down freely as he shook with anger. He knew he had his own faults too, but William was responsible enough to be faithful while he's away. If only he knew how weak he was, he would've stopped caring about him; and if only he knew that William would be the first and only person to actually make him cry, he could've started paying more attention to his goals and ambitions. He hated how weak he also seemed when it comes to William, and he slammed his fists on his lap. He wanted to hurt himself and kill the lover who betrayed him, but he felt trapped. He wondered why loving a person too much resulted in bad endings like this.

After that confession, they tried hard to ignore each other, and neither of them talked to each other for quite some time.

His melancholy went fast-forward to William's wedding day a few months later. He watched at a distance and saw the new couple. When he saw how happy William looked while he walked with his bride on the aisle outside the chapel, it only became salt to his wounds. He kept his murderous thoughts to himself as the guests showered rice over them. It was a simple ceremony, but the mark that it left on his life was far too complicated. The new couple shook hands with the well-wishers and thanked them for coming as they headed to the reception at a beautiful garden setting beside the chapel.

Once yet again, Albert shook with anger and slammed his fist on the tree that he was standing against, and clenched his teeth. Apparently, William noticed him and saw his anguished face, just like what Albert had intended. He left the spot as William hurriedly excused himself to use the bathroom, but the truth was he went off to follow Albert.

He found the older man just as when he was about to step into his car to leave, "Al! Wait, please!" He screamed almost desperately.

"You once told me before that you had no romantic interest towards that woman. What a shame that I was such a fool and believed you. You're such a good liar, Dr. Birkin," Wesker exclaimed angrily as he finally stepped into his car.

"But Al, really I… her family and friends are there, I-I had to play along! Albert, I beg you, please…"

"Best wishes to the both of you," Albert said as he revved up his engine, but the other blonde held onto Wesker's hands firmly to stop him from even touching the gear.

"Al, I'm not giving up on us, and that's the truth, I swear to my death! You're the one that I really love, believe me!"

"Believe you? How pathetic. Now, would you be so kind to your new wife and step away before I run you over and kill you? I feel really tempted to do so right now, actually. You don't mean a thing to me anymore."

"Albert, if we could just please talk about this, you know you had your own faults too!"

Wesker paused and sighed heavily. He realized what Birkin had just said and finally decided on giving him a chance to explain himself. William knew Albert for the longest time and knew how to read his facial expressions, "meet me at midnight, same place as always," he said. Albert barely nodded and looked at William meaningfully before speeding off, catching the attention of his new bride, Annette. Even without the words, he knew Albert's reply more or less.

"Who was that?" The newly-wed woman asked her husband. Annette never met Wesker yet during that time since they worked in different departments and barely noticed each other.

"Just some old friend of mine," William lied, and it shattered him to pieces deep inside. This newly-formed union was a grave mistake for him. All the hurt was almost unbearable.

Later that midnight, William snuck away back to the research facility and into the exclusive quarters that he and Albert once shared. He had a faint hope of Albert to actually come, but much to his surprise, he was already there ahead of him, and he sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, "hurry up, William. I don't have all day."

The younger of the two quickly grabbed a chair and sat in front of Albert, close enough for him to put his hands on his lover's knees. He started explaining himself and humbled himself down while he talked. Wesker may have hated and swore murder to William before, but eventually he shed a little of his pride off and explained his side of the story as well. Both men finally realized their mistakes and apologized to each other. It's probably true when one says that first love never dies, and they silently believed in it.

Albert got up to leave when he felt that their talk was finished, but William grabbed him by the arm and turned him around, kissing him as he held on to the other blonde as tight as he could. He knew that no matter what had happened he just couldn't let go of Albert. It would be too painful to do so, and he cannot afford on letting their relationship to go to waste.

Wesker was caught by surprise and didn't have the time to push William away, but the kiss had already softened him, and he replied to it. He held the slightly shorter one of them by the waist, and ran his hands through his hair, and while they were at it they realized how much they missed each other during the past months. The hours they spent together after that midnight fell away as they made love on the waiting bed.

Albert snapped back to his senses when he heard a howl of laughter from the other people in his team. Apparently Joseph Frost had just delivered a joke, and those people didn't actually laugh at the joke itself, but at how corny it really was.

Until now, though, his secret affair with the good doctor Birkin continued, and he felt like he spent more time with him than with his family. He didn't want to be a home-wrecker, but he was with William first, and it was Annette that actually ruined their lives. He smirked as he justified that thought in his mind.

The end of this story draws nigh! -Author