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

Warning: Nothing

Authors Note: Hey guys, I have a question for you all! Have you been reading and enjoying State of Flux? Have you been supporting me? Have you reviewed the last 2 chapters? Well, if you answered yes to two of those, I would go to my profile and click on the youtube link at the top of the page! It's a video I made thanking all of you, and giving shout outs to those who reviewed chapter 27/28 and to people who are awesome! So go watch the video when you're done! Also, this chapter is dedicated to Necrononymous!

Chapter 29- Theft

The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be. ~Lao Tzu~

"I wish it would stop raining already," Jill mumbled from her seat in Chris' car, eyes slightly glazed over as she stared at the water droplets slide across the window.

Smiling, Chris turned a corner and shrugged, flipping the wipers down to a slower speed as the rain stopped- for a time. "You know what they say- April showers bring May flowers!"

"Yeah, but did they actually have to experience April showers? It's been raining for the past week and it's getting frustrating." As if to uphold what she said, Chris drove through a particularly large puddle, the water rising up to splash against the side of the vehicle.

It was true what she had said, though. For the past week the skies had been clouded over, rain falling or stopping for a short time in order to lull the inhabitants of Racoon City into a false sense of liberation.

While Chris didn't mind the rain, he certainly missed the sun. Even though it peeked out from behind the clouds to show itself every so often, the lack of constant sunshine had begun to dampen his mood, as well as everyone else's in the city.

But Jill seemed the most defeated by it, making Chris wonder why she would get so gloomy when it rained too much. She wasn't all smiles and laughs in the morning like she used to be- instead, she came in nursing a cup of coffee and a stoic expression on her face.

He suspected that something more was up than just the weather, and tried to pry something out of her during lunch earlier that day. Unfortunately, he met Jill's darker side, as well as the pronged end of a fork close to his hand, and decided to stop asking her why she looked so upset and instead offered to help her with her physical combat training.

Jill, despite being tough, still had the petite size that could get her into trouble if she were to encounter an attacker much larger than her. While Chris didn't want to say it was because she was a woman that worried him so much, he had to admit her gender did factor into her ability to take a punch to the face or a bear hug from behind.

After their shift was done for the day, he and Jill ventured down to the gym and practiced their self defence moves, with Chris using his full force a few times to see how well she fared. She did well, considering she admitted feeling a little less than confident in her ability, but there was still work to be done.

For now, though, the two of them were exhausted, battered, bruised, and ready for a hot shower and a good night's rest.

"So your house is two blocks down from here, I guess?" Chris asked as they turned another corner, arriving on a small shopping district that had quaint antique boutiques and cafés lining the strip.

"Two blocks down and then take a left, from there it's three houses… in… Wait, stop the car."

Jill's sudden urgency caused Chris to slow the car down, windshield wipers once more speeding up as the rain became heavy again. Jill was peering down an alleyway, her eyes locked onto something.

Moving forward in his seat, Chris kept his foot on the break and looked over Jill's shoulder, trying to see what she was seeing. "What is it?"

"It looks like a person…" she mumbled, eyes narrowing before she growled softly. "Damn rain drops getting in the way."

Throwing open the door, Jill tried to get a better look before whatever was in the alleyway took off quickly, something glinting in their hand. Not wasting a second, Jill unbuckled herself and shot off across the street towards the alleyway.

"Fuck, wait up!" Chris cried, putting the car into reverse before getting it to go into park. Taking off his seatbelt, Chris jumped out and followed Jill to where she had stopped briefly.

"They were trying to break in," Jill said, looking at a window of a store that had been crudely pried at with what might have been a crowbar.

"They couldn't have gone far," Chris said, suddenly desperate for some action. He could already feel the adrenaline rushing through his system as the prospect of a hunt overcame him. That was one of the reasons why Chris loved being a cop- the excitement that came from chasing and catching a criminal was almost better than sex for Chris.

Chris heard Jill try and stop him, a hand reaching out to prevent him from rushing head first into this, but he didn't pay her any mind. The perp only had one direction to run from the alleyway, and if he was faster than them, he'd pretty much have them trapped.

Rushing down the alleyway, Chris turned the corner and avoided the dead end on the other side, his flimsy pair of sneakers already getting soaked as he ran through numerous puddles. He could hear Jill's voice from behind, but ignored her in favour of the sound of blood rushing through his ears and the muffled splash of someone running through water close by.

Taking off in the direction of the sound, Chris blinked back the water in his face, ducking his head ever so slightly in order to prevent too much rain from hindering his vision. He knew the person must be close by- he could almost feel it in his bones.

In the back of his mind he knew what he was doing was dangerous- that running into such a situation with little assessment and no partner might be suicide, but Chris had been so desperate for action the past couple of weeks he thought he might go stark crazy.

There had been no cases for the STARS unit for some time, and they had all been reduced to regular cop patrols, watching the streets for any situation that needed dealing with. Of course, most of them were easy enough cases, ones that ended up with more paper work than anything.

But now, now this was something Chris could sink his teeth into.

Rounding another corner after he saw a flash of movement in that direction, Chris had to slow himself down as he came to another dead end, a chain link fence blocking the way of anyone trying to get through.

Stopping at the entrance, Chris looked around, the rain coming down even harder. With a hand near the gun resting at his side, Chris' fingers twitched ever so slightly as water ran down his neck and across his spine, jacket already soaked through.

"I'd suggest coming out now," Chris called out, and was just about to take out his gun before a blinding pain shot through the back of his head before following the same trail as the rain down his back.

A moment passed in which all Chris could think was 'Fuck' before darkness became his world.

**XX**

"… Chris…. Chris…"

There was someone… touching him. No, they were shaking him. Cold hands were pressed against his shoulder and they were calling out his name. He could feel water on his face, a constant patter of rain falling over his features, and an intense ache accompanied every splash to his face.

His head hurt like a son of a bitch, but he pushed back the pain in favour of wondering…

Where the hell was he?

Finally opening his eyes, Chris looked up at the person who had been shaking him, and watched as Jill's features slowly came into view, only to become fuzzy again as his eyes desperately tried to focus.

"Wha… What happened?" Chris mumbled, his voice suddenly sounding extremely loud in his ears. His head was pounding even more, and for a second he thought he was going to throw up.

He didn't remember what happened- he didn't even know how he got here. Last he remembered was… going over to Wesker's desk to ask him about some papers he needed… When was that? A week, a day, or an hour ago?

"You were chasing after someone and they managed to hit you in the head with a trashcan." Jill's voice went from sounding too loud to too quiet, and Chris was having trouble listening to her while thinking.

"I don't remember that," Chris finally said, trying to sit up with Jill's help. A moment passed in which the throbbing in the back of his head intensified and he swore he was going to pass out again before Jill tugged him up, bringing the pain back but breaking that unconscious boundary he had been coasting along.

"-concussion. We should get you to the hospital," Jill said, with Chris only tuning in for the end.

Where was he and what happened?

"What happened, where am I?" he asked, not knowing he had already asked the exact question seconds ago. Standing up, Chris had to lean against Jill, her smaller frame holding him up as they headed for… Where were they headed?

"Yeah, definitely, a concussion- come on, we're going to the hospital to get you checked out." Jill sounded relieved, annoyed, and exhausted all in one go, and Chris wondered what he had done to get her so upset.

But what was more worrying was his inability to focus on anything. His thoughts were jumbled, and he was finding it impossible to think properly with the constant throbbing in his head and the dizziness that plagued his every movement.

They finally reached his car that was still running in the middle of the street, and Chris didn't even complain as Jill put him in the passenger seat, helping him buckle up like a small child.

"Where are we going?" he asked again, already forgetting. Or perhaps she hadn't told him where they were going; he couldn't be sure.

"The hospital, Chris… you hit your head," Jill said as she got into the driver's seat, fingers searching for the seat adjuster.

Nodding, Chris felt another stab of pain and went to cradle the back of his head just as the car began to move, Jill taking it a little slower than she normally would in order to get used to the car. It was a good thing the roads were mostly deserted.

The drive to the hospital was spent in relative silence, the only conversation occurring when Chris would ask a question, desperate for some memory of what had happened. The last thing he remembered was getting that paperwork from Wesker, an event that, according to Jill, occurred early that morning.

When they arrived at the hospital, they were quickly checked in, thanks to Jill flashing her badge and explaining the situation. It didn't take too long for the doctor to conclude Chris had a mild concussion, and that he just had to take it easy for a few days and take pain medication when it hurt too much.

Chris wished he had been given some right away, but had to wait until they got back to his apartment and all of his glorious pain meds were spread out before him, thanks to Jill mothering him like he was a small child.

"I wasn't sure which kind you use," Jill explained as Chris inspected the seven kinds of pills she had brought out from the bathroom and placed on the living room table.

"Ones that knock me out…" Chris mumbled, picking up a bottle of Tylenol. "Or take away the pain."

"Is sleeping such a good idea after what happened?" Jill asked, forgetting to ask the doctor if it was wise to let Chris sleep or not. She had heard you shouldn't let them sleep, and on other occasions heard it was okay…

Popping a few pills, Chris shrugged and rested back against the couch, Jill following suit until they were both leaning against the back, staring straight ahead at the television.

"Last time… Can you go over what happened today?" Chris asked after a moment of silence. He knew he had probably asked six times already, but this was the last time. He could already feel the pain subsiding, and some clarity was taking over. If he didn't move his head too much, he'd be fine.

"You were driving me home after we had sparred after hours at work. When we were a few blocks from my house, I saw someone trying to break into a shop. We stopped to investigate, and you ended up running off like a mad man to get the criminal. When you got to a dead end, you failed to realize there were a bunch of dumpsters behind you, and the perp must have been hiding behind them.

"You ended up getting hit in the back of the head with one of the trashcans, and were out for probably five minutes until you came back… in a very confused and pain-filled state."

Jill explained it carefully and slowly, probably hoping if she went slowly enough Chris would eventually soak it all in and stop asking.

"Did you get the guy?" he asked, turning his head slowly to gaze at Jill, already realizing that if she had, they would have taken him to the police station.

Sighing, Jill shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. "No, I saw them take off, but I was more concerned with you. Besides, they left enough evidence that we'll get them soon enough. When you were getting checked out I called the incident in and the regular police are probably already at the site."

"Quick thinking… Too bad I wasn't thinking at all when I did that." Frowning, Chris turned away from Jill and closed his eyes. He was stupid- a complete and utter fool. Running off alone was probably the first thing you learnt not to do in the police force, and yet he'd done just that.

All for a petty burglar.

"Yeah, you weren't… dolt."

Chris cracked an eye open and looked over to see Jill smiling slightly as she curled up on the couch, eyes closing.

"You should go home and get some sleep, I'll be fine. Take my Jeep and I'll pick it up at the RPD later on. I live closer to work than you do," Chris said, noticing how tired she actually was.

Shrugging, Jill stayed where she was. "I think I'll stick around and wait to see if you die. Captain Wesker should know if you pass away on us."

"Fuck…"

Chris suddenly realized that Wesker, when finding out about what Chris had done, would most likely hit him on the head a few times in order to show him what real brain damage was like.

"Don't tell Wesker about this, please," Chris began, trying to keep his voice low in fear of hurting his own head. "He's literally going to kill me... or fire me. Or fire me and then kill me."

"I doubt he's going to do that, Chris. He's probably going to ream you out for being an idiot, but killing you is a little extreme."

Shaking his head, Chris caught himself and grasped the back of his head to stop the feeling of his brain knocking against his skull, grimacing as he did so. "No, he will kill me. Please… please don't tell him."

"Chris… we have to. If we catch the person then they'll be charged for assaulting a police officer. Not to mention we're part of the investigation into the burglary, so questions will be asked."

"Just don't tell him I ran off by myself… and that I got hit in the head. Say we saw the person, called the police, and when I don't come in tomorrow say I have a cold… Please, Jill!"

Chris was practically begging now- actually, he was begging. And he was fully prepared to start bribing her if it got her to keep her mouth shut.

"Fine… Fine, I won't tell." Sitting up, Jill opened her eyes and glared at Chris. "You're such a child sometimes…"

Pouting, Chris pointed to his head. "A child who's been incredibly hurt, but is forever in debt to you for agreeing not to tell Wesker about tonight."

Rolling her eyes, Jill pushed Chris gently before resting back against the couch. The smile that had been playing at her lips left soon after, though, and Chris desperately wanted to see it return.

"Hey… Why all the frowning lately?" he asked, trying to see if she'd finally open up.

"Not this again," she mumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Come on, Chris, I already said I didn't want to talk about it."

"No, you threatened me with a fork, but you never said you didn't want to talk about it. Come on, open up a little… Chances are, given the current state of my head I won't even remember this come tomorrow. So you could very well tell me every dark secret and all I'll remember is asking you a million times where I was and how I got there… Which is still a little fuzzy, by the way."

Taking a moment, Jill looked down at her lap, gaze fixed on her fingers, which were playing with a loose string on the bottom of her shirt. "My Dad is sick… really sick."

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that," Chris mumbled, not knowing what to do now that she told him.

"There is more to it than that, though," she said, ripping the loose thread out. "He's sick and I haven't seen him in three years on account of him being in fucking jail."

Well that threw him for a loop.

"Your Dad is…in jail?" Chris asked, wondering when, or if, Jill was ever going to tell him this.

"Yeah, he got thrown in three years ago right after my 19th birthday. He was a professional burglar, or a cat burglar, I guess… He's the one that taught me how to pick locks. Of course, when he taught me I was too young to really think about it, and by the time I was old enough I didn't stop to wonder…"

Chris didn't know what to say- but he certainly found the irony in it. Jill was now one of the best cops in town and just tried to apprehend a burglar with him, while her very own father was busy serving time in jail for that very crime.

But pushing the irony aside, Chris found himself seeing Jill a little differently. She must have been keeping it bottled up for so long. The stigma of having your own father in jail would certainly wear at the mind of any police officer, especially one as morally straight as Jill.

And the fact that he was sick just added to the tension he saw across her features as of late.

"So are you going to go see him?" Chris asked after a time, wanting to reach out to her somehow, but realizing she might not appreciate that.

"I… I don't know. That's why I've been so caught up in my own world lately. I mean, I promised myself I wouldn't see him ever again- after he lost the trial and it was proven he was guilty, I couldn't look him in the eyes. I mean… was my entire life built upon stolen goods and things that weren't really mine?

"I kept wondering those things after he went to jail, and that's why I ended up in Racoon. I figured I would tear myself away from what I had grown up on- no longer would I let my parents support me with money that I didn't believe was actually theirs. I wanted to make something of myself, and to disassociate myself with what my father had done… and now…now, I think if I see him, then I'll be right back where I was before."

Listening carefully, Chris sighed and held his arm out, indicating she should scoot over. When she gave him a reproachful look, Chris indicated once again before she finally moved over to let Chris give her a hug.

"You're not like him, Jill. You're a strong, righteous, independent woman who always does the right thing. And if you want to continue doing the right thing, then you should go see your Dad. He may not deserve the respect from you, but you're going to beat yourself up forever if you don't see him and he doesn't make it."

Rubbing her back, Chris could feel the tension slowly leave her body until she was resting against him. The hug soon turned into Chris just letting her lay against him, her head resting on his shoulder as they both soaked in what had been said.

Chris never knew this about Jill. In fact, he was beginning to realize he knew very little about her personal life before Racoon. Sure, he knew she was allergic to chocolate, had a boyfriend named Wilson, and loved Monty Python, but anything before the time she joined STARS was a mystery. It reminded Chris far too much of Wesker, and he hoped he would be able to get more out of her than his lover was willing to give up.

But with her telling him about her father and all of the worries she had surrounding him, Chris was beginning to piece together the life of a woman who continued to amaze Chris on a regular basis. He felt honoured that she would open up to him, even if it took a lot of coaxing on his part.

Now if only he was willing to open up about his personal life…

Finally, Jill lifted her head from Chris' shoulder and held out her hand, pinkie raised. "Pinkie promise you won't tell anyone?"

Laughing, Chris immediately regretted the action, but gave her the pinkie promise she had asked for. "I won't tell anyone, promise… Now get home before you fall asleep on me."

Nodding, Jill stood up and gave Chris a slightly patronizing kiss on the forehead. "Stay safe, you dolt."

"Thanks, you too." Rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand, Chris faked a disgusted look before getting up slowly to see her to the door.

Throwing her still damp jacket back on, Jill gave Chris one last hug before she turned to leave.

"Remember, don't tell Wesker," Chris said as she began to close the door. Simply winking, Jill shrugged before closing the door, leaving Chris to wonder if she was actually going to stay true to her word.

**XX**

"Let me in."

Swearing as soon as he heard Wesker's voice, Chris rested against the wall near his buzzer button for a moment, mentally preparing himself for whatever Wesker was here for.

Whatever it was, Chris knew it wasn't for kisses and sex.

Pressing the door button finally, Chris let Wesker in before going to lay back down on the couch, face stuffed in the pillows as he tried to convince himself Wesker believed the lie about his cold and was coming to check up on him for that.

He hadn't gone to work the next morning on account of the events last night. While his head didn't hurt as much as it had last night, he still felt groggy and confused, the entire day up until the incident still forgotten. So he had stayed home and rested, napping for most of the day and only getting up to make food or go to the washroom.

Sometimes it was good to just relax.

Waiting for Wesker to come upstairs, Chris just laid there, waiting… and waiting… and waiting.

He waited a good five minutes until he finally got up and headed to the door, wondering where Wesker was and what was taking him so long. As soon as he opened it though, he was greeted with the sight of Wesker talking to his burly next door neighbour.

His neighbour had moved in a few weeks after he had back in September. While they never really talked much, they had shared the same bond of being bachelors in a small city, and occasionally spoke when they would meet at their doors.

He was an okay guy, but not the smartest bulb in the batch. He constantly wore a baseball cap with his favourite hockey team logo on it, and listened to his television far too loudly when a game was on. But Chris never complained about the noise, especially when he knew he could be loud on occasion as well.

Like when he almost burnt his apartment down trying to cook a pizza…

But then his neighbour got himself a girlfriend, right around the same time Chris was getting closer to Wesker. For a while, things were okay… until the hockey game noises turned into sex sounds.

Now, Chris wasn't a prude, but having the sound of a woman screaming out 'Ryan' in her obnoxious New Jersey accent every other night began to wear at Chris' nerves. So one day, Chris, very kindly, asked Ryan if he could go easier on his girlfriend next time on account of him having to be up early for work.

Ryan agreed that they were being too loud- end of story.

Until today…

"Look, buddy; don't get all mighty on me by using big words like that. I just want you and your gay love to stop making so much noise, all right?"

"Gay love? You mean Christopher? I thought you would have known your own neighbour's name by now," Wesker said, his hands in his pockets as he looked at Ryan, an air of annoyance surrounding him.

"Speak of the devil- hey, Chris! Stop screaming, all right? It's bad enough I live next to a gay guy, I don't want to hear about how fucking amazing this guy's dick is." Emphasising the last bit, Ryan jabbed a finger at Wesker, making him bristle slightly.

"You do realize it is considered rude in many cultures to point at someone," said Wesker, and Chris could see him resist the urge to push his hand down.

"Hey, Ryan… I didn't know I was that loud. I'm sorry, I'll keep it down," Chris said, trying to alleviate the situation while retaining some dignity. He didn't go on about how amazing Wesker's dick was… not too much, at least.

"You better, because I think I know all the positions you two do now just by how fucking loud you can get. It's a good thing your partner here isn't a moaner," Ryan said, giving Wesker one last look before turning to go back into his apartment.

A second passed in the hallway before Wesker invited himself into Chris' apartment, shrugging his spring coat off in one fluid motion.

"I'm not that loud, am I?" Chris asked as soon as the door was closed, his cheeks slightly red from embarrassment.

"No, he was exaggerating. You do moan, but you're usually fairly quiet. But sometimes… sometimes I am apparently skilled enough with my tongue and cock that you get a little too loud, though," Wesker said casually, pulling Chris to the couch where he sat him down before sitting on the coffee table across from him. "Just don't get too loud next time. This is the second complaint we've had in the past three months."

"He's just pissed off I called him out on his sex sounds a few weeks ago- hey, what the hell?" In the middle of his explanation, Wesker, out of seemingly nowhere, grabbed Chris' face and tried to pry his eye open, a flashlight in one hand while thin fingers went dangerously close to his eye.

Pushing Wesker away, Chris gave him his best shocked expression and went to rub his eye.

"I was checking the dilation of your pupils, to see how your concussion affected you," he said, reaching for Chris again, flashlight and hand at the ready.

Letting Wesker touch him, he tried not to squint while Wesker shined the light in one eye, and then the next.

"Who told you?" Chris finally asked as soon as Wesker put the flashlight back in his pocket. Reaching forward, Wesker felt the back of Chris' head carefully, fingers finding the goose egg that had formed.

"The criminal told me," Wesker mumbled, pressing slightly, making Chris wince in pain. "Did you fall forward or backward?"

"Forward- and how did the criminal tell you?" asked Chris, just as Wesker started to pull at Chris' shirt, trying to take it off. Raising his arms, Chris let him remove the garment before looking down to inspect his shoulder.

He had fallen forward and more on his right shoulder when he fell, and a large bruise had already begun to form. It hurt a little, but Chris could deal with the soreness if it meant Wesker was going to touch it in such an uncharacteristically gentle manner.

"They handed themselves in- a Ms. Kimberly, I believe. I gather once she realized she was going to get caught for either assaulting a police officer or breaking and entering, she might as well make it easier on all of us…" Wesker said, thin fingers running along Chris' shoulder before going to push gently while his other hand moved Chris' arm forward, feeling the shoulder move.

"Oh… well I guess- ouch… I guess this is the point in time where you yell at me," Chris mumbled, wincing as Wesker applied more pressure. God, his fingers sure were skilled at applying the most pain or the most pleasure, whichever he so desired at the time.

"No. Now let us go to your bedroom," Wesker said, standing up before going to the main door. Taking his shoes off, Wesker looked over at Chris, who was still sitting on the couch, incredibly confused.

Why wasn't Wesker going to yell at him? Why was he poking and prodding him like an animal? And more importantly, was he going to get laid?

"Are you going to go to your bed or not?" Wesker asked, not waiting for an answer before he went off anyways, leaving Chris to trail behind. Turning around, Wesker indicated to the bed by pointing to it before he moved to take his dress shirt off, leaving him in his work pants and a white undershirt.

"What are you doing?" Chris asked, going to sit on the bed. Rubbing the back of his head gently, Chris watched as Wesker moved to sit behind him on his knees, hands wrapping around to feel Chris' shoulder once again.

"You wrenched your shoulder an awful lot when you fell. If the muscles aren't worked both in the back and front, you're going to have difficulty moving it soon enough. We can't have you away on leave for more than a few days, and a shoulder injury could complicate things," Wesker explained, his warm breath sliding across Chris' cheek. "So don't think of this as a massage to relax you- this is going to be painful."

And just to emphasise his point, Wesker began to work on the muscles, fingers digging into the bruise. Gasping, Chris' first reaction was to pull away from the pain, but Wesker caught him with an arm wrapping around his waist, pulling him flush against his chest.

"Don't make this more difficult than it has to be," Wesker murmured. Pausing his ministrations for a second, Wesker seemed to wait to see if Chris would try and pull away, but seemed pleased enough when Chris relaxed as much as he could.

What Wesker had said held a lot of water, and although Chris was a little upset he was getting a painful massage with no promise of some pleasant activities after, he realized that without something done, his shoulder probably would hurt him later on.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Chris asked, gritting his teeth against the pain.

"Yes."

Without elaborating, Wesker continued with his massage, fingers being careful around the bruised area, but digging deep into the shoulder blade. But as soon as Wesker moved from the front of his shoulder to the back, Chris could concentrate on something other than pain, and let his head fall forward as Wesker let up on some of the digging.

"Why aren't you angry at me?" he finally asked, closing his eyes as he rocked with the motion of Wesker's massage.

There was silence for a time, and Chris thought maybe Wesker hadn't heard him until he replied. "Your injuries are enough punishment, I believe. It's obvious you got off easy this time, but next time when you feel the need to chase after someone who may have a dangerous weapon, you'll remember this encounter."

"Learn from my own mistakes, right?" Chris said, turning to look over his shoulder. Wesker stopped his massage and stared back at Chris, his sunglasses still on, hiding what he was thinking.

"Right." Nodding, Wesker pushed Chris' head back so he was once again staring at his hands, and continued to work out the knots until he seemed pleased enough. He must have been working on his shoulder for a good fifteen minutes until he got off of the bed and headed towards the kitchen, Chris admiring his ass for a moment before he tried to follow.

"Stay where you are," Wesker called over his shoulder, without even looking behind to see Chris getting up. Sitting slowly back down, Chris furrowed his eyebrows and waited, listening to the noises Wesker was making in the kitchen.

He certainly felt like a small child at the moment…

Lying down on the bed, Chris stared up at the ceiling, thinking of nothing in particular. He waited a good ten minutes until he heard the whistle of his kettle, followed by the sound of water being poured into… something. Sitting up, Chris noticed Wesker holding a hot water bottle he hadn't even remembered owning, as well as a small towel with little ducks running along the edges- a house warming gift from his aunt.

"Lie down on your back and make yourself comfortable," Wesker instructed, standing beside the bed, watching Chris like a hawk.

Sliding further up the bed, Chris fluffed his pillow up as much as he could before lying flat on his back, hands resting on his stomach as he looked up at Wesker expectantly.

"Keep this on your shoulder for fifteen minutes. After that, let it relax before stretching it out a few times a day, applying heat when needed," Wesker began to explain while he placed the towel on Chris' shoulder, followed by the water bottle. "And continue to take your regular pain medication for your head… You've acquired quite the bump."

Putting his hand on the water bottle, Chris managed to catch Wesker's hand in his own, fingers quickly interlocking together. "Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?"

Wesker once again paused and simply squeezed Chris' hand before taking his own back. "I can't have you down and out for the count- you're too important for Alpha Team."

"Is that it?" he asked, hoping Wesker would once again admit something deeper.

He knew he was fishing, but it felt like he was always fishing with Wesker. It was rare for him to admit any personal feelings, and when he did they were usually quick and abrupt, an awkwardness and forcefulness behind it that made Chris wonder what had happened to him as a young person that made him so god damn bitter.

But when he did receive those few admissions- the ones in which Wesker actually made eye contact and didn't shut down completely after- left Chris feeling like he accomplished something. Without even knowing it, Chris had made it his mission to see Wesker open up more, to see him work more like a human being rather than a robot with occasional animalistic urgencies.

"Yes, that's it," Wesker stated, neither his voice nor his posture giving away anything. Sighing, Chris nodded and closed his eyes, deciding to sleep away the aches.

"Okay… Well, thanks for the help. I'm sure I'll be feeling it later, that's for sure," Chris mumbled.

"Be more careful next time," Wesker said, and Chris could hear him put his shirt back on before he left the room. A moment passed in which Chris expected the sound of his apartment door open and close to occur, but was surprised when he heard shuffling in his bedroom.

Opening his eyes, Chris looked up to see Wesker peering down at him, eyes narrowed behind tinted glass. "I forgot… next time you do something foolish such as this- don't ask Jill to cover for you."

"Heh… yeah." Giving Wesker a sheepish grin, Chris looked away nervously, realizing he probably got Jill in trouble too.

Wesker was about to leave again before Chris caught him at the door. "Is Jill all right?"

"I don't know, she left early today… She's not in trouble, though, if that's what you're asking."

"Left early? Why?" Chris asked, wanting to know if she was okay.

"She said something about seeing her father… In any matter, it is none of your concern. Now get some rest and don't fall asleep with that on you."

And with that, Wesker officially left Chris to his own thoughts and muscle aches.

Gaaaaaaay! Now go watch that youtube video!