Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the below piece of fiction, Capcom does.

Warning: Nothin'

Authors Note: Sorry for the delay in the new update (for those of you who don't know, I try and update every 10 days), but FF was being strange the last couple of days for me, so I was hesitant to upload. Also, I was trying to get a present together to thank all of you for 400+ reviews, but youtube was being a pest. Basically I made a video with shoutouts and such, but youtube wouldn't upload it... I tired numerous times, but I guess the site hates me! And finally, the contest winners have been announced! Please look at my profile to see the winners! Although I wish I could have given everyone who entered a prize! Anywho, thank you so much for the amazing support you guys- this story wouldn't be here like this without you guys, so thank you so much! Perhaps I'll get the gift to work sometime!

Chapter 28- Truth

The truth is rarely pure and never simple. ~Oscar Wilde~

When Chris returned to work the next day, still a bundle of mixed emotions and nerves, he didn't really know how he'd react to seeing Wesker. What had happened between the two of them the night before had definitely opened up things that both of them probably wished had been kept under wraps, and now that things had been said and emotions revealed, it was impossible to just forget it.

But Chris didn't have to worry about seeing Wesker that day- in fact, he didn't have to worry for a whole week. When Tuesday morning arrived, he and the rest of the STARS members were informed that Barry would be taking over Alpha Team for the remainder of the week, on account of Wesker having 'something' to deal with.

At first Chris was glad Wesker wouldn't be around, even though he had a nagging feeling something was wrong, especially after Wesker had left in such physical distress. But he really did not want to deal with speaking to him- he didn't even want to see Wesker's face, he was still so upset with what he had said. Chris felt like a used man; a receptacle in which Wesker could release his desires and needs- nothing more. If Wesker really thought there was nothing between them but physical desires, then he really didn't give a damn about whether Wesker was going to be all right. Let him have a heart attack and die, see if Chris cared…

Except he did.

He began to care a lot.

As the days passed and there was no news on Wesker, Chris grew more and more anxious as he thought about what could have happened to him, each thought more gruesome than the last. He assumed Wesker was away because of whatever happened Monday night, but he was the only one who seemed aware of this new development. Everyone else, including Barry and Enrico, thought that Wesker was on a business trip of some kind- a common occurrence for him. But Chris knew that it was more than that, and he had begun to become irrationally angry about that too.

If he hadn't seen Wesker in distress, hadn't seen the fear and pain in his eyes, then he could just assume it was a business trip like everyone else and not worry about the length of his absence. But knowing that there was more to it than that made Chris lie awake at night, every night, debating if he should try and contact Wesker to at least make sure he was still alive.

He despised the fact that even though Wesker pretty much made Chris feel like a worthless whore, he still wanted to make sure he was okay- he still wanted to hear his voice, feel his touch, and if he was in pain, he wanted to be there to tell him it would all be okay…

"You're distracted again."

Snapping his gaze up from his water bottle, Chris looked at Barry and tried to smile, a forced chuckle escaping past his lips in an attempt to hide what was really going on in his head.

"Sorry, just thinking," he said, taking a swig of his water while trying to get comfortable on one of the gym benches.

"I'll say- I tackled you down six times in a row in the past fifteen minutes! I thought you were going to show me how Redfields do it, and I highly doubt they fall down and just take it." Chuckling, Barry reached over to pat Chris' shoulder before shaking him gently. "What's wrong?"

Chris, for a split second, wanted to tell Barry. He wanted to tell him everything. The urge to spill his guts about his relationship with Wesker in hopes of getting a little bit of advice was almost overwhelming. But Chris quickly squashed the notion with the remembrance of his uncle, and took a sip of his water to stop anything he might have said.

"Nothing, just been day dreaming a lot; spring makes me do that," Chris said, trying to move away from talks about his personal life.

"Ah, I know what you mean. Went to the park with the family the other day and enjoyed one of the first warm days of the season. Kathy made pie and everything… It was a good day," Barry said, an overwhelming softness coming to his voice as soon as he said Kathy.

Picking up on it, Chris smiled and turned to look at Barry closely. "Hey… how did you and Kathy meet?"

Grinning, Barry rested his back against the gym wall and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared off into the distance, obviously already taking a trip down memory lane.

"We met in high school- we were both freshmen and in art class together. I was pretty horrible at art- you know, the type of guy who thought stickmen should be considered art just so I could get a passing grade. Anyways, she sat at the same table I did, and man… I still remember the first time I laid eyes on her.

"She was wearing this pretty dress that was a soft green with blue flowers on it that really brought out her eyes. She was standing just a few feet from me when she walked in, and her hair caught the light and just shone so bright… She looked like an angel." Smiling, Barry shook his head and turned to Chris, seemingly out of his trance.

"Of course I immediately made a fool of myself by tripping over a stool as I stared at her, but you know, love is blind!"

Rolling his eyes, Chris laughed and nudged Barry with his elbow, used to his puns. That was one thing Chris could count on from Barry- a good laugh to go with an entertaining story.

"Hey, when did you know she was… you know, the one?" Chris asked after they had both finished laughing and a comfortable atmosphere settled over them.

"I don't know… just one day I woke up next to her and thought I was the luckiest guy in the world. Everything about her just amazed me, and I began to cherish the little things, like a simple smile or the brush of her hand against mine. Everything felt so right without me even trying to make it that way… it just happened. Why… you got someone special you haven't told me about?"

Grinning from ear to ear, it was Barry's turn to elbow Chris gently, pressing for answers he wasn't going to get. Shaking his head, Chris sat back and gently knocked his head against the gym wall. What Barry had said struck a cord inside Chris, and images of Wesker lying on the hotel room floor in a fit of laughter flashed before him.

"Nah, I don't… at least not yet. I was just wondering how you knew, so maybe one day when it happens for me I'll know too," Chris said after a time, standing up to wander over to the change rooms, wanting to be alone with his thoughts. But Barry's voice caught him, and he paused at the door, head turned slightly to hear him better.

"Well when you find them, Chris… don't ever let them go," he said, his voice suddenly serious as he looked at Chris.

Nodding, Chris took a second before opening the door to the change room, mind already working in overdrive as a million thoughts jumped and skittered about, making it hard for him to concentrate on just one.

**XX**

Of course, the one thought he ended up settling on was Wesker- it was always Wesker.

Standing outside his apartment building, Chris spent five minutes staring at Wesker's apartment number, the little white intercom button both tempting and terrifying in its need to be pushed.

He was still upset with Wesker, and he didn't know what he was coming here to say, or what he expected Wesker to do in return. He also didn't know what condition Wesker would be in. For all he knew, he could be on his death bed, as silly as that sounded.

Finally giving in, Chris pressed the button and hoped for a response, going on the assumption that nine was too early for Wesker to be in bed. Waiting for what seemed like hours, Chris rocked back on his heels and stuffed his hands in his pockets, trying not to let thoughts from Monday get in the way of what could be a civil conversation. Finally a click could be heard over the speaker before Wesker's voice carried over clearly.

"Who is it?"

"Uh… it's Chris…" he said, trying to sound confident although he lacked it. A second passed and for a moment Chris thought Wesker had hung up, clearly not in the mood to even give Chris the time of day.

But the jarring sound of the door buzzer snapped Chris out of those thoughts as soon as they had come, and he quickly opened the door and stepped inside the lobby, taking the fact that Wesker was letting him in as a good sign.

Going to the elevator, Chris pressed the correct floor button and waited, taking those precious minutes it would take to get to Wesker's apartment to get himself together and go over what he was going to say.

If Wesker had been away for work purposes and he was fine, Chris would confront him about Monday, and if he was indeed ill, then he would… well, he didn't know what he would do. If they hadn't had the argument like they had, Chris probably would have tried to kiss Wesker's worries away, but now… well now he didn't even know if that was still appropriate between them.

Finally arriving outside Wesker's apartment door, Chris almost let himself in like he usually did, before figuring it was better to knock and wait this time. Rapping his knuckles against the door, Chris looked down at his shoes and waited for the door to open.

It didn't take too long, what with Wesker already expecting him. But as soon as the door opened, Chris found it hard to look up.

"Christopher… are you going to stare at your shoes all day or are you going to come inside?"

Wesker's voice sounded tired, a strain behind each word carrying through to Chris easily enough, making him finally turn his gaze upwards to look at Wesker.

He looked tired and slightly ill, a pale pallor to his skin that was even more noticeable due to the bags under his eyes. His hair wasn't styled in its usual gelled-back hold; in fact, it seemed incredibly messy compared to how he usually wore it. It looked like he was continually pushing it back in an attempt to keep it out of his eyes, but strands continued to fall and get in the way of his vision. Chris thought it would have been incredibly sexy if not for the fact that his health was what was causing the lax in hair care.

But the most shocking thing of all to Wesker's appearance was the clothes he was wearing. He had a loose fitting black sweater on, the arms of it rolled up to his elbows and the neck sitting lower than it probably should, showing off his collarbone and some of his chest. The pants he was wearing were also black in colour, but baggier than what he usually wore.

If anyone other than Wesker was wearing what he was, Chris would have thought they were just relaxing on their day off, what with there being no need to dress up. But because it was Wesker dressed in such a casual fashion, Chris grew more and more worried.

Suddenly all the anger he had held towards Wesker and his attitude a few days ago went out the door, instead replaced with anxiety. He would talk to him about Monday later; right now all he wanted to do was make sure Wesker was going to be okay.

"How are you, uh… feeling?" Chris finally asked, stepping into the apartment before taking his shoes off. Keeping his jacket on, he watched as Wesker shut the door and moved to stand in front of him, hands crossed over his chest.

"I have a slight cold, but other than that I'm completely fine. And yourself?"

Rolling his eyes, Chris shook his head before rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You're obviously not fine if you've taken a week off, Wesker. Please just… tell me the truth."

He was sick of Wesker keeping things secret from him, and he was determined to get the truth from him for once.

"I… I just ran a bath and I don't want the water to get cold," Wesker began, suddenly making move to the bathroom.

Not knowing what Wesker expected him to do, Chris stood at the door for a moment longer before finally following, deciding that if Wesker was going to try and avoid him he'd just follow like the 'deluded' man he was. Stepping into the bedroom, Chris followed the small trail of clothes until he got to the washroom and saw Wesker slowly lowering himself into the warm water.

Going into the washroom, Chris sat down on the toilet lid and rested his arms on his thighs, staring ahead at the counter before him while Wesker ducked his head under the water to wet his head.

Inspecting the counter, Chris looked over the now familiar objects until landing on a pill bottle, one he hadn't seen before. Reaching forward, Chris snatched it up and read the side of it, already amazed Wesker hadn't prevented him from seeing it.

Looking for the name of the medication, Chris quickly read through dosage information before coming to the name- 'Valium'.

"What's this?" he asked after a time, looking over at Wesker. who was watching the water from the tap drip into the tub.

"It's anxiety medication. I was prescribed it on Tuesday after I went to the doctor with chest pain and breathing troubles," Wesker said as he continued to watch the water drip. "My doctor told me to take them to… ease my anxiety attacks. He also told me to take the week off, which as you can imagine was hard for me to do."

Chris could see the smallest of smiles lurking beneath Wesker's stoic expression, and couldn't help but smile himself. But it was short-lived, and what Wesker had told him began to settle, making him wonder what was causing Wesker so much anxiety and worry.

"Mind telling me why you're so anxious?" he asked, putting the bottle that suddenly weighed far too much back on the counter.

"It's not your concern… Just know that I have been taking them. It's either that or an early death."

Chris was a little upset that Wesker wasn't going to tell him, but decided not to press him further on the topic. After all, what did a 'fuck buddy' really need to know?

"Well as long as you're not dying…" Trailing off, Chris watched Wesker for a time, waiting to see if he was going to say anything. The tension in the room was obviously getting to the two of them, and Chris began to feel it would be better if he just left.

Deciding to follow his own advice, Chris stood up and straightened his jacket before heading to the door. "I'll be going now, I guess… see you at work."

He was almost out the door when he heard Wesker's voice, his soft accent carrying to Chris easily enough. "She is the daughter of a friend of mine… Sherry, that is."

Turning around, Chris looked over at Wesker, locking eyes with him. He didn't know what Wesker was trying to do, but didn't have time to ask before he was speaking again.

"Her father and I had been friends since we were teenagers… We attended the same school together. He got married to a woman named Annette and lived a happy, but stressful life… until he passed away."

Chris was shocked for a moment, trying to comprehend what Wesker was telling him- what he was opening up to him about. He certainly hadn't expected this, but decided to go along with it and see how far it would go.

Walking over to the toilet, Chris sat down on the lid once again and reached out to take Wesker's hand in his own, massaging the palm. "How did he pass away?"

"A car accident- just a few years ago. Annette is always so busy with work that she hired a nanny to help take care of Sherry. I do my part to give her some semblance of a family, but I can only do so much with my schedule." Letting Chris massage his hand, Wesker relaxed slightly and rested his back against the tub.

"What was his name?" Chris finally asked. He took his willingness to actually give him a glimpse of his personal life as a good sign, and would try and use it to his advantage.

Maybe it was Wesker's way of apologising.

"William... William Birkin. He was one of my first companions after I moved to the States."

"Where did you grow up before?" Chris asked, going to kiss the palm of Wesker's hand.

"Oxford… it's close to London. I lived with my family there until I was thirteen and was accepted to an elite school in the United States. I was what my parents liked to call a gifted child." Letting Chris kiss his hand, Wesker gently took it back and grabbed a bar of soap before he began to wash himself. "My parents are still in England, but I haven't spoken to them for some time. Family bonds were never really that important to us."

"Do you miss them?" Chris asked, hanging off of every word Wesker said. This was the most he had ever heard about Wesker's personal life, and every little detail was important to Chris, no matter how trivial it may be to someone else.

Taking a while to reply, Wesker washed his arms and chest before pausing, soap resting in his hand. "Sometimes… but I try not to let attachments get in the way of my personal goals."

"I noticed…" Chris mumbled. Shrugging off his jacket, Chris hung it on the end of the towel rack before grabbing the soap to begin washing Wesker's back, feeling him stiffen before relaxing further as Chris massaged his shoulders. "Think you would ever let anything get in the way of personal goals?"

It was a simple question, but a loaded one at the same time.

"Well, the possibility of a heart attack has certainly slowed me down…" Wesker said, groaning as Chris moved to massage the nape of his neck, the smell of sandalwood permeating the air. "And sometimes… I allow myself a few indulgences here and there by allowing myself to let go for a time and just… breathe. Mostly it happens… well, it happens more frequently when I'm with you."

Chris tried not to show how much what he said affected him, and continued to massage for some time until the urge to kiss Wesker overcame him. Dropping down on his knees beside the tub to stare at Wesker, Chris watched as he leaned back, his gaze searching Chris' face for… something.

Moving forward, Chris captured Wesker's lips with his own and kissed him gently, feeling a hand come up to run along his jaw line as he did so. The kiss didn't last long, but it was enough to make Chris forget about their argument the other day. What had been said was just Wesker lashing out, a desperate attempt to keep their relationship from becoming something he was probably afraid of- a committed one. Or that was what Chris let himself believe, otherwise…

"You've stopped shaving…" Wesker said after they broke away, fingers feeling the stubble that adorned his jaw. "Was this some rebellious move against me?"

Seeing the subtle smirk appear, Chris smiled too and kissed Wesker quickly again before resting against the edge of the tub. Deciding not to answer, Chris shrugged and went to ask another question, a simple one this time. "What's your favourite colour?"

"Black."

"That's a shade… What's your favourite colour?"

"Blue, I suppose- dark blue."

"Favourite kind of food?"

"Do you want style, for example Chinese or Greek, or did you want a specific dish?" Wesker asked while he began to wash his hair with a special shampoo that smelt so good Chris wanted to hug him and never let go in order to breathe it all in.

"Your choice," Chris said, hand dipping into the water to run up and down Wesker's thigh in an innocent way. He wasn't looking for sex, but he wanted to touch Wesker after abstaining for a week.

"I like Italian food- it's light and if prepared correctly it can be incredibly healthy." Sliding under the water, Wesker rinsed his hair out before sitting up. "Please move, I'd like to get out before I wrinkle."

Laughing, Chris stood up and left the bathroom, images of a raisin with sunglasses on accompanying him to the bedroom. Sitting on the bed, Chris pressed his fingers together and watched Wesker dry himself through the crack in the door. He was expecting Wesker to blow-dry his hair and moisturize the crap out of his skin like he always did before returning, but found Wesker leaving the bathroom almost as quickly as he had.

Still completely nude, Wesker wandered over to his dresser and shuffled around in the top drawer for some time, fingers ghosting over overnight wear before he paused. Turning his head slightly, Wesker spoke over his shoulder, voice betraying no emotion.

"Did you want to stay the night?"

Chris had desperately hoped Wesker would request he stay the night- maybe show Chris that he wanted him there rather than Chris being the one who was given the 'treat' or the 'honour' of being with Wesker that night. He wanted to hear 'Would you please stay the night with me?', but knew that would never happen, no matter how open Wesker became with his feelings.

"Uh… did you want me to?" he asked, trying to get Wesker to just admit having some company tonight would be appreciated. Sure, he was being pushy, but if Wesker was willing to admit his favourite colour, then maybe he'd be willing to admit he liked it when Chris visited for the night.

"It is your choice," Wesker said, going back to his inspecting of undergarments. But none of them seemed suitable, and Wesker closed it without taking anything out. Going back to the bed, he stood in front of Chris, suddenly giving Chris a very close view of his flaccid cock.

Never would Chris have guessed he'd be so comfortable in the presence of a nude man before him…but stranger things had happened.

"Are you going to stay or not? You're sitting on my side of the bed and I'd like to sleep," Wesker stated, drawing Chris' gaze upwards.

"Sure… sure," Chris mumbled, deciding driving home and getting to bed there would take longer. He still wasn't incredibly happy with their relationship now- after all, Wesker hadn't really apologized for what he had said, and he still hadn't admitted that maybe there was more to their relationship than at first glance. But with Wesker opening up to him like that, the fractures that had made an appearance in their commitment had begun to repair.

Standing up, Chris let Wesker take 'his' side of the bed while he pulled off his shirt and pants before ripping his socks off. He was about to get in before Wesker sent Chris a look that demanded… something.

"What?" Chris asked, poised half on top of the bed.

Staring at Chris, Wesker opened his mouth before closing it. Looking away quickly, he stared dead ahead before speaking. "If you could take off your underwear I would appreciate it… I… I like the feeling of your skin against mine."

Grinning, Chris nodded and got back up to take them off, tossing them on top of the rest of his clothes. Finally getting under the covers, Chris scooted close and wrapped his arms around Wesker's waist, lips finding purchase on the back of his neck.

"When are you back at work?" Chris asked, closing his eyes as soon as he felt Wesker relax.

"Monday… and not a day too soon, either."

There was silence between the two for a time before Chris spoke again, wanting to touch on Monday at least a little bit. "Sorry about punching you on Monday… even though I think you deserved it."

"I was expecting it," Wesker said, his voice a little distant, almost as if he was falling asleep. "I had said some… uncouth things, and a punch to the face was something I deserved… I suppose."

He hadn't apologized- not like Chris would have liked, anyways- but he had agreed and seemed to see the slight 'flaw' in his entire approach to the situation. While that was enough for Chris, there was still a nagging feeling inside him, an ache that wasn't going away. He knew that their relationship was dangerous- volatile and explosive. But maybe, if Wesker opened up once and again and continued to tell the truth, they would make it work…

Maybe.

Wesker is a LIAR! A sneaky little LIAR! Of course, that's what we love about him- well, some of what we like about him. Shifty bugger... Anyways, thanks once again for the reviews/favourites/watches! You're ridiculously awesome and cool! And hopefully the next chapter will not be delayed! We're getting close to the end of 'Act I'. I've started to think of this story coming in 'Acts' like a play, and the end of Act I and beginning of Act II is soooon.