Piers couldn't find Chris. He had searched the house multiple times, yet his Captain was nowhere to be found. He was beginning to become worried. It was the night before the wedding, and he feared that Chris would be a no show. His heart raced as he ran through the manor, shouting for Chris.
"What the hell do you want?!" came a slurred response from the kitchen. Piers slammed on his heels to stop himself. He peeked through the doorway and let out his breath. This surprised him; he hadn't realized he had been holding it. What didn't surprise him was finding Chris on the floor, leaning against the refrigerator, a bottle of beer in his hands.
"Captain," Piers said with a heavy sigh. He had been afraid of this very thing. After Sierra's funeral several weeks ago Chris had been falling more and more into his old addiction of alcoholism.
"Hello Piers," Chris said, perking up when his fellow soldier walked into the room. He took another swig from the glass bottle in his hands.
Piers didn't reply, but took the bottle from Chris' hands, setting it on the counter behind him. He then helped Chris to stand, letting the other man lean on his weight, but Chris did something that Piers wasn't expecting.
Chris maneuvered Piers back against the cabinets, running his hands along Piers' abs and he could feel the electricity that spider-webbed just underneath his soldier's skin. His mouth crashed down on to Pier's lips, kissing him roughly. He nibbled on Piers' lower lip, begging for access into his mouth. Piers obligingly parted his lips and Chris' tongue entered. Chris explored Piers' orifice and massaged his tongue. The taste of alcohol was overpoweringly strong in Chris' mouth.
Piers was on sensory overload as his Captain paid so much attention to him. His hands had found their way to Chris' waist, holding on to him, otherwise Piers was afraid he would have melted to the floor in a puddle. Chris however had other plans. Chris' hands, which had been preoccupied with Piers' abs, had slowly slid farther south. He began to work at the buckle on Piers' belt. That brought Piers crashing back into reality. Piers pushed Chris back, panting heavily. He cast an angry glance at Chris and walked out of the room, leaving Chris standing in the middle of the kitchen confused.
Piers heard Chris jogging behind him to catch up, but Piers didn't turn around to look at him, he was too upset. Chris put his hand on Piers' shoulder to stop him. Piers shrugged his hand off and kept walking. Chris wasn't going to stand for that. Chris spun Piers around, pushing him against the wall.
"What the hell is going on?!" Chris asked, his hazel eyes searching Piers' own silver gray ones.
"Chris, you can't do this anymore!" Piers replied angrily, pushing Chris off.
"What the hell are you talking about, soldier?!" Chris asked.
"This, Chris!" Piers exclaimed, motioning to Chris. "Your drinking!"
"Dammit Piers, what the hell are you going on about?!" Chris swore.
"You have to stop drinking! If not for me, then for Sierra!" Piers shouted. He instantly felt guilty as pain flashed across Chris' face, but he knew it was going to be the only way to get his point across. Chris stumbled back, tears welling in his eyes.
"I can't let the great Chris Redfield sink to levels he doesn't belong," Piers went on. "You have to be strong. Think of all the people that count on you, Captain. Think of the mission." Chris nodded and sighed. Piers walked over and pulled the other man into his arms, holding him in a warm embrace.
"Dammit Piers, why do you always have to be right?" Chris asked into Piers' shoulder. This comment only made Piers chuckle.
"Come on Captain," Piers said. He took Chris' hand and let him to the bedroom. Together they crawled into the large bed, cuddling up together. Piers held Chris against him, lending comfort and strength to him. It wasn't long before they fell asleep like that.
The next day was a whirlwind for both men. Claire Redfield came over at seven in the morning to collect Piers, much to Chris' disappointment. Piers was to spend the day with the bridesmaids while Chris was to stay at the manor with the groomsmen. Neither wanted to part after the conversation the night before, but Claire was bull-headed and was not leaving without Piers.
Reluctantly Piers hugged Chris one last time before climbing into Claire's Benz. Piers sat quietly, reflecting on this day, whilst Claire prattled on about how excited she was. She, along with Jill and Sherry, were honored to take part in one of the very first same-sex marriages in the state of New York. Piers was just grateful that they had helped so much to put the wedding together in such a short amount to time, slightly over a month.
The day flew by; he watched the transformation from their every day jeans and tee-shirts to the stunning violet silk gowns with silver brooches on the right side. The color had been Sierra's favorite color. The three girls wore their hair down and curled, framing their faces softly. Each had on silver eye-shadow and a light pink lipstick. Piers was glad that he simply had to change into his military suit. He let the girls fuss about him, styling his hair just right, but in the end he had to fix it, much to the girls' annoyance.
Chris on the other hand was sitting around with the other men. Piers and Chris had had a lot harder time picking out his grooms men, finally they had decided that Leon would be the best man, while Claire's brother, David, and Piers' two brothers, Matthew and Deryck, would be the groomsmen. Chris sat back and let them talk about marriage, the BSAA, and other things, but he wasn't really listening. His mind kept wandering to what Piers had said last night. It was hard for him to swallow his pride and realize that Piers was right. He couldn't let his alcoholism get the better of him. It disrespected Sierra's memory because he had always been her hero; she had always looked up to him. As well, it couldn't affect his career with the BSAA, too much was at stake.
"Chris, you there?" David asked, shaking Chris' shoulder. Chris shook himself out of his reverie and looked up at his cousin.
"Yeah, I'm here," Chris replied.
"Are you going to get ready?" Matthew asked, raising his eyebrow.
"What time is it?!" Chris asked sitting up. Looking around he realized that the other men in the room were all already dressed in their outfits-black tuxedos with black pleated shirts and violet ties and vests.
"It's almost two-thirty," Matthew replied, checking his watch. Chris swore and bolted out of the room. He shut the door behind him and quickly changed into his own navy blue military suit. He was supposed to be at the ceremony at three o'clock. Where had the last three hours gone? He brushed his teeth and laced his shoes, before racing back into the living room where the four men were waiting for him.
"You good to go?" David asked. Chris nodded nervously. As he climbed into the back of Matthew's truck the excitement of the day really hit Chris. Butterflies danced dementedly in his stomach as he got closer to the botanical gardens.
"Here we are," Deryck said, opening the door for Chris.
Chris stepped out of the truck and looked around in wonder. Overnight the gardens had been transformed from a frozen dead land to a green wonderland. A trellis covered in laurels, lilies, and roses stood in front of a large fountain on the top of a raised dias, but what really caught his attention was the large portrait that stood in the place where the maid of honor would normally be. His eyes widened and he walked over to it, running his fingers over the porcelain cheek of the girl. Her ice blue eyes stared back at him, the glint of her smile reflected there.
"I will make you proud, Misty," Chris whispered. "I promise." A small white butterfly encircled the portrait of Sierra, landing on Chris' shoulder. He smiled; Sierra had always loved the little white butterflies that would migrate to meadows that surrounded the manor in the spring.
Chris stood up in front of the trellis as the music started, it didn't even register in his mind that there slightly over a hundred people in attendance, their attention focused on him. Leon grinned at him toothily as he walked up the isle by himself since the maid of honor could not attend. He was followed by Claire and David, arms looped together, after them was Jill and Matthew, and finally came Sherry and Deryck. The wedding march began playing and the guests rose to stand as Piers stood at the other end of the aisle, his arms linked with his mother's.
Chris gasped; everything felt like it was in slow motion. The only thing he could focus on was Piers. His silver eyes were locked on Chris' own hazel ones and his smile was infectious. Chris was so happy, overjoyed. He had never imagined his wedding like this, but it was everything he had ever wanted. He could see the same joy reflected in Piers' face.
Chris stepped down and took Piers' hand after he had kissed his mother on the cheek. Piers flashed Chris a smile and together they stood on the raised platform. Neither really heard much of what the minister was saying, they were too absorbed in the magic of such a special day.
"Now my dear friends, it is time for these two wonderful men to pledge their love for one another," the minister said, raising his arms. "This couple has chosen to prepare their own sacred vows to bind them forever more." Piers pulled a tiny piece of paper from his breast pocket with one hand and held Chris' hand with the other.
"I, pledge to you Captain, endless strength that you can count on when you are weak. I'll be your music when you can't hear, your sunshine when you can't see, or your cologne when you can't smell. You'll never need to look farther than me. I'll be your days and nights when you need them filled, your spark of life in the darkness, your hope when you're down and out," Piers said, his voice cracking with emotion. Tears had begun to gather in the couple's eyes, but then it was Chris' turn.
"I, Chris, take you, Piers, to be my husband-my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live," Chris vowed in replied to Piers' profession of adulation.
The minister held out his hands and Leon presented the rings to him before resuming his place amongst the groomsmen. The minister extended his free hand over the rings. He prayed a short prayer of blessing over them.
"You have for each other special rings- symbols that love is the most precious element in your life together. The ring has no beginning and no ending, which symbolizes that the love between you will never cease. You place these rings upon each other's fingers as a visible sign of your vows this day, unifying you as husbands," the minister said. He handed a ring to Chris and nodded.
Chris took Piers' left hand into his own. He slid the plain silver tungsten ring onto his finger, saying in a choked up voice, "Piers, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you that you always that you are surrounded by my enduring love." A tear slipped down the large man's face, a tear of joy. The minister smiled and handed the remaining ring to Piers.
"Captain, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you. Let it be a reminder that I am always by your side and I will always be a faithful partner to you," Piers said, slipping the identical ring on to Chris' left ring finger.
"By the power invested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and husband!" the minister said proudly. "You may now kiss."
Piers grabbed Chris by the waist and pulled him close. Piers touched his lips to Chris' gently. Chris took Piers' face in his hands, deepening the kiss as the attendees stood and cheered loudly. The couple pulled away and joined hands, laughing as they walked down the center aisle together for the first as a married couple.
"Today, we start the rest of our lives together," Piers murmured into Chris' shoulder as the other man held him close.
"And I can't wait, Piers," Chris replied softly, a smile spreading across his smile. "I wouldn't want to spend it with anyone else."
