Author's Note: This chapter was incredibly easy to start yet so difficult to end it the way I wanted. Even now I'm unsure. -_-
Thanks for the reviews! I have big plans for what's to come. While I was planning only a bit of characterization while I skipped along the timeline, I'm enjoying fleshing these three out more than I anticipated in this current spot. If there are any suggestions, criticisms or anything else, please feel free to let me know. It can change how I'll write the chapters to come. :)
***May 1985***
William felt like punching a wall. Nothing was going right this week: not the test samples, not the preliminary research and certainly not the current course his lab had spun into. With the lab fully functional, he had five more researchers enlisted to assist expanding the scope of the project. Even with more hands, there had been little in the way of any kind of surviving specimens that didn't simply fall apart after being treated with the current viral mixture. That was a natural reaction as it was a newer blend as far as William was concerned. The true reason of his growing agitation had been in the form of Albert Wesker.
Not only had Wesker hand-picked the new recruits, he took the better ones for his own pursuits. Wesker had told him when he asked that he was running the same kind of tests just in a different direction to what would occur. Vague as always, Wesker, but why her? Annette had requested to be able to assist Wesker. William had flatly refused. She was his leading assistant, not something he was going to share without a better reason than 'Albert needs my assistance'.
Over the past month, William had little chance to have any free time with Annette. That one weekend was the last time they had spent any kind of meaningful time together as a couple, not just getting a cup of coffee or taking a brief meal together in the cafeteria. When he asked in the rare opportunity of an open weekend, Annette had told him she already had plans or too busy getting caught up with backlogged paperwork. He had believed her since it was true. That was, until they had new faces to assist them more than ever. It was still the same excuses, so he kept an eye on her activities. She had been consorting with Wesker in this very lab! Why is she conducting research for him in her freetime? What about us?
William stared at the soft glow of his computer screen blankly. He had no idea what to do without coming off a complete jerk. He could imagine the kind of glare Annette would give in return if he was completely wrong. Am I wrong to worry? She's the brightest beacon in my life, yet she never gave me an answer to my proposal... Was it too soon? Is she avoiding me on purpose?
With an outward groan, he moved away from his desk before he could conjure up any more worst-case scenarios. His office had become a mess of papers, files and other materials within just a month's time. He had to sidestep his own organization to be able to make it to the door. I should assign someone to file this all away...
William took stock of everyone in the lab, most busy with the assigned tasks he had handed out first thing that morning. Without two steps from his office, Greg had come to update him on their current progress which had been normally one of Annette's duties. I can't say I'm surprised since she said she was going to spread out her work evenly, but this is one that I thought would've been a top priority. Greg is quite thorough so she chose well. Where is she?
After Greg's debriefing, he perused the clipboard as he walked along the short aisles of active specimens. William didn't recognize this row, but this was the space allocated for Wesker's tests. His results were about the same as his. He allowed himself a slight smirk. Even Wesker wasn't getting anywhere fast.
As William continued his bi-daily patrol, he heard Annette's voice from his last row of test subjects.
"We need to have maintenance take a look at this centrifuge. It's not spinning properly. Do you know if we can get one of those fellows over here to take a quick look?"
Steve gave a half-shrug, sliding a pen from his pocket to record the data from a secondary chart by the specimen he stood by. "Perhaps. I thought they were busy remodeling the other lab areas within this section. It's probably just easier to ask for a new one."
"That feels quite wasteful, but there might not be a choice." Annette unplugged the defective machine, lifting it from the counter to move it out of the way.
As she was about to set it underneath the counter, William cleared his throat. "Hello, Annette."
Annette hit her head under the counter as she was caught by surprise. "Ow. William, you couldn't have waited a second longer to say that?" She touched the tender spot on the back of her head, pushing herself back to standing with her free hand.
"Do you have a minute to talk?" He asked quietly.
Annette froze, her hand leaving the tender spot on her head. "Is it work-related?"
"Lets step into my office, shall we?" William gestured towards the door on the other side of the lab. He noticed her expression had become quite tense. I'm not going to interrogate you. Is that what she's afraid of?
Without another word, they made their way through to his office. Annette opened the door, stepping in as William closed it behind himself. The mood in the room felt like stepping on thin ice.
"What did you want to talk about, William?" Annette turned, crossing her arms casually in front of her. "I guess it couldn't be said while I was still out there."
William placed the clipboard on his overflowing desk. "What responsibilities are you in charge of now? It was quite a surprise to have Greg give me the current runthrough."
"Didn't you read the document I gave you detailing what I was shifting around to others? Hell, you even signed it." A frown seeped into her features.
William took a look at the current state of his office. He sighed. "I glanced over it. I didn't read into the finer details. That's my own fault, but why did you hand over that task? You're my lead assistant, not Greg."
"Greg is a very capable scientist. I made sure he could handle it before I even considered delegating it out. Did you have any problems with his review?" Annette questioned.
William shook his head, feeling his patience growing short. "Not at all, but I want it to be your responsibility from now on. Are we clear?"
"Yes, sir." Annette replied coolly. "Is there anything else?"
His eyes studied her, trying to gauge her expression. She didn't say 'sir' unless she was angry. "Please Annette. Don't make this harder than it has to be. I'm not trying to be the bad guy here, but I was afraid of..." Crap. I didn't want to turn this personal.
"Afraid of what? That I'm not fulfilling my duties? If that's the way you see it, you're more than welcome to make any changes you see fit. If this is something other than work, this really isn't the right time to talk about this." Annette stated with a neutral tone.
William raised an eyebrow, checking the time on his watch. "So, if I asked you to lunch right now, could we have a talk about everything else?"
Annette chewed on her bottom lip contemplatively. "I really shouldn't. I have a lot of tests I still need to get into motion today. Perhaps over...?"
"I..." There was a knock on the door.
"Yes?" William barked.
The door proceeded to open without another word.
Wesker held the doorknob, assessing what kind of situation he had just stepped into. "Ah, Birkin. We need to go over these budgetary reports before 2PM today. It can not be pushed off any further."
William grimaced. "Damn it. It completely slipped my mind." He raked a quick hand through his mop of unkempt hair. "Lets go grab something in the cafeteria and we'll go over them."
"Lead the way." Wesker released the door knob, stepping into the office so he didn't block the doorway.
William pursed his lips tightly, turning his attention back to Annette for a moment. "Are you free tonight? We can speak then."
"Tonight I've already have plans." Annette mumbled out. William exhaled in mild frustration. Plans? For what?
She continued. "Maybe tomorrow, but I can't make any promises."
"Fine. Talk to you later." William offered stiffly as he marched out of the office.
Wesker stood there, silent as always. He turned to leave as he felt something tug on the back of his labcoat. Turning his head to the side, he spoke quietly before following. "That is another favor you owe me."
As Annette stood there, she didn't know whether to feel relieved or worried.
***Evening***
Annette moved in the direction of the elevator, feeling the long days wear on her again. She pushed the 'up' arrow by the elevator and waited. It almost feels like I'm living a double life; working with William and Albert is draining to say the least. I don't mean to shrug off William, but he's going to want an answer. An answer I don't have. While I love him dearly, I'm just so unsure. I wonder why?
She checked her watch, blinking as she realized that today was Albert's birthday. She had to really dig to find that nugget of information. With a little finesse, she managed to get HR to tell her the date. Patting her pocket, she had finally finished crafting another set of sunglasses. She couldn't reassemble them simply from the broken pieces, so she had bought a couple of similar pairs and made something that fit his style. It certainly wasn't cheap, but it was a good stress reliever after a long day. I'm quite proud how they came out.
After five minutes, the door finally chimed and slid open slowly. Her luck paid off for once today as Albert leaned against the back wall of the elevator, absorbed in a report in his hands. She smiled lightly as she stepped inward to the side with the illuminated buttons.
"Are you planning of getting off here, Albert?" She knew saying his name would get his attention.
Albert lifted his head, tilting it in her direction. "We need to speak about our own research. That is, if William does not make it into the elevator."
At that moment, William was dashing for the elevator. His voice getting louder with each step. "Hold up!"
Unfortunately, the doors were already closing as she had pushed the floor she needed to go when she first entered. The only thing fast about this elevator are the doors. Hopefully he didn't see me...
As the doors shut with a following curse and thump on the other side of the door, a resounding laugh echoed from Albert , startling her. "That was priceless."
Annette stared at this oddity. She had never seen him outwardly amused to this extent. Here he was shaking with laughter and she could only managed an embarrassed flush. "I didn't see him..."
"However, he did see me and will likely have a few cross words later." He pointed out as his composure returned in the blink of an eye.
Annette stood next to Albert, leaning back against the back wall in similar fashion. "I'm pretty sure he saw you laughing. I'm sure those few words will be extra cross now."
"Indeed." Albert answered, bringing the report back up for his continued interest. "Now, about discus..."
"Hold that thought." She blurted out, her hand fishing into her pocket to bring out a small, wrapped gift. "Happy Birthday, Albert." Annette smiled broadly as she held it in his direction, adding. "Sorry, they didn't sell black wrapping paper, so dark blue was the best they had."
Albert furrowed his brow, staring at the gift without making any movement. "Ah, yes. That is today, is it not? You really are stalking me." He smirked wryly.
Annette smirked in return. "Thank you for the little rose bush."
"I have no idea what you are referring to."
She chuckled, still holding out the gift until he would take it. "Yeah, I figured that would be the answer I'd get. It really ticked off William until I... kind of glossed over the truth."
"Glossed over? That is quite admirable of you." He flipped to the next page.
"So you did leave that little plant there?"
Albert remained in silence as she stood there with the slender box still offered.
Annette tapped the box on the edge of his clipboard, her tone serious. "Take it and open it later when alone. It would be disappointing for all the work I put into it this to go to waste." That should work.
After a moment, Albert's right hand left the edge of the clipboard, holding it out expectantly. The box slipped into his hand immediately which he slid into his upper labcoat pocket. "Now, to disc..."
"I guess a thank you is out of the equation." Annette interrupted, not bothering to hide her slight disappointment. It was a long shot at best.
Albert pressed his forefinger against his glasses. "I have some research that is ready for you to analyze." He patted his hand down the various pockets on his labcoat. "It appears by some slight oversight that the disc is not on my person."
"Where did you leave it?" She questioned.
Albert frowned slightly. "I only keep it on my person or in my quarters. Likely it is on top of the other reports I need to go through tonight on my desk."
The elevator shuddered to a halt, chiming as it reached the living quarters level.
"I could follow you real quick so I can study over that data tonight?" She offered.
Albert pushed away from the wall, moving out of the elevator. After a moment, he paused mid-stride. "Coming?"
Annette nodded quickly as she tagged along behind. She stared at the way his labcoat billowed around him at the brisk pace to his quarters. At least I don't have to worry about bumping into William.
Almost immediately, Wesker regretted making the suggestion that Annette should follow him back to his living quarters. He could not remember the last time he had let someone in, other than Birkin. When he had the occasional woman, he would go to her place every single time. This was his sanctuary and he did not like it disturbed. Perhaps she will wait in the hall. I will keep this brief.
They traversed the metal-grey corridors together in complete silence until they arrived at his apartment door.
"Wait here. I will go find the disc quickly." He held a hand up, gesturing her to stay where she was.
Annette raised an eyebrow. "I don't mind what shape your place is in. I don't think it could top William's, knowing how clean your working area is maintained."
Wesker pulled his keys from his pants pocket, finding the correct one with flip of his wrist. In one fluid motion, he stepped inside as the door closed behind him.
He took pride in his living space as he had to custom build the kind of desk he wanted that took most space of the living room. The desk was within the center while the many shelves were built in and around it, everything neatly organized and sorted within each cubby. The sleek black leather chair where he occupied most of his time here was an expensive frivolity. He slept in it more than his own bed so the comfort and utility went hand in hand in his final decision. In this very spot, he felt at peace more than he had known before.
As he approached his desk, Wesker slid the chair out of the way gently, examining the pile of unfinished work he had set out for himself tonight. His fingers flipped easily through his own organization, finding the disc he sought buried under the third file. I should have kept it with me, but I did not expect to see Annette until tomorrow.
He had been quite pleased at the progress of the initial examination of the T-Veronica sample. It was still too far off to start running live tests, but they finally had started to map out the strain to see its complete composition. Soon, they might be able to start picking it apart; find out what went wrong and what gains could be made. Annette's dedication had surprised him after he assumed she would drift away due to her shaky relationship with Birkin. She had kept her feelings to herself when he expected her to start gushing out now that they worked together in closer proximity. Despite her talkative nature, she did not ever breach the subject of her own personal affairs with him. Not once.
Thinking on this particular subject, he remembered the gift he had placed in his front pocket. He could not remember the last time he received a gift on his birthday. Even as a child, it was about rigorous study and constant training. Never a time for celebrating one's own holiday amongst all the other observed days. It would be another day of study, another day of training. He did not mind for he was only at peace with himself if he was constantly pushing forward.
Wesker held the wrapped gift in his hand, easing the tape loose from the paper to keep it from ripping. As the paper folded open, he observed the sleek black box. Another move of his thumb, he finally saw the gift that was meant for him. A pair of black sunglasses, sleek in design and not a brand he had seen before. Wait. Did she manage to construct this herself? Had she been working months on this little project?
As his reached to pick up the glasses, the loud creak of his door opening and closing quickly made his other hand clamp the case shut. Wesker turned in place, leveling his shielded stare at a panicked Annette who leaned back against the door.
Annette squinted slightly, her vision adjusting from the bright hallway to the slow dim glow of his living room. "William's coming. I think he might've seen me. I didn't mean to barge in, but there wasn't any other alternative."
"You could have said you were looking for him. I am sure he would care less after you flashed a smile his starved way." Wesker snapped under his breath, displeased that she had invited herself in. She invites misfortune every time she is around.
A knock resounded on his door before William's voice could be faintly heard. "Wesker. Can we talk a moment?"
Wesker would have laughed again at such an inane situation, but Annette truly appeared distraught. As much fun he could have with this potential argument, he decided to be magnanimous. He stepped closer, his eyes staring at her wide-eyed expression as he whispered. "Hide in my bedroom."
Annette came back to her senses, her sudden fear of being caught turning to bewilderment. Before she could give him a piece of her mind, Wesker grabbed her arm with light force, giving her a small push. "Go." With a quick snort, she hurried towards his bedroom to stay out of sight. First woman I have had in my bedroom yet for all the wrong reasons.
Wesker gave her a few more seconds before pulling open the door to stare at Birkin. "Yes?"
"Can I come in for a second?" Birkin requested. Wesker stepped away from the door, leaving it open as Birkin trailed in behind him. This might be interesting.
Wesker took that moment to slid out of his labcoat, hanging it on the hook on back of the door as Birkin ventured to the solitary chair Wesker kept around for his occasional guest. "I need to talk to you about Annette."
He eased down into the comfort of his black leather chair, allowing himself a moment of solace before answering. "What about?" Birkin makes this too easy.
"I'm sure you know. It seems Annette has been assisting you more and more lately in her off-hours. Why? Is there something going on that I should know about?"
Wesker's mind raced with so many possibilities. This is what they call being a kid in a candy shop.
Annette couldn't believe how the situation had changed so drastically in the last few minutes. First she had waited out in the hall for Albert to return, the next William had rounded the corner slowly enough for her to burst through Albert's door. She didn't think her day would somehow melt down to hiding in Albert's bedroom.
There would be no explaining myself out of this situation. Saying 'I was researching in his bedroom' likely wouldn't cut it... I shouldn't be joking right now. I trade one mishap for another. Albert will likely consider this another favor. Great. Her thoughts wandered as she hid behind the bedroom door.
The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she heard William come into the living room. Annette shrank further into the small corner behind the door, wishing she could be any other place than here. Her frantic eyes roamed over the sparsely decorated room from the neatly-made bed in black to the lone bed stand that hosted a small clock, failing to find any better place for cover. If she moved now, she would likely be seen if she tried to hide in the closet or the bathroom.
"I'm sure you know. It seems Annette has been assisting you more and more lately in her off-hours. Why? Is there something going on that I should know about?" She heard William speak, dread filling her as she tried to remain as silent as possible.
"Why not ask her yourself?" Wesker questioned.
Annette panicked, clapping a hand over her mouth to keep quiet. He's not ratting me out, is he? No, he's going to milk this for all its worth. I'm sorry, William.
Birkin's voice sounded on edge. "What? Is she here?"
"Do you want to look around? Maybe she is hiding in my closet." Albert offered graciously.
"No, I'm sure you just said that to be spiteful. Besides, you just got in and I didn't recall seeing anyone with you as you didn't hold the door for me." Birkin ranted on.
Annette could imagine Albert was probably beside himself with inner satisfaction. I guess this is the icing on a birthday cake for one such as him.
She could hear the rustling of thick paper as Albert spoke. "Was that you?"
Birkin sighed. "Yeah, whatever. So, is there any way I could have you switch Annette for Greg to use as your assistant?"
"Maybe there is a reason Annette is my partner. I will not accept a replacement either." Albert emphasized that last word a little more than Annette liked. Stop baiting him, Albert...
Annette heard a familiar soft creak, her eyes widened as she realized that her gift had been opened. In front of William no less. I wonder what he thinks of them... Something sarcastic I bet.
"Reason? What reason? Damn it, Wesker. Don't you dare try to ruin what we have." William spat.
Albert snorted. "She does have a free will of her own and can do whatever she pleases. It seems it pleases her to assist me in a few trials I needed another pair of hands and sharp mind. If you want the reason, you should be in Annette's quarters and not mine."
The silence was deafening as she couldn't see what their expressions would tell. I suppose that's as close of a compliment I'll get with Albert, but now William is going to be on my tail worse than ever.
"I would, but she has been shrugging me off whenever I try to make free time to talk about anything. Since she converses more with you, could you at least try to drop her a hint to make some free time for herself?" William asked.
Albert chuckled darkly. "I will not."
"If I gave you a note to give to her, can you do that much for me in the very least?" She could hear as he searched in his pockets, loose change jingling.
"I will do that much and nothing more. Leave the note there and I will pick it up later." Albert replied flatly.
The scraping of a chair echoed as she heard William rise to his feet. "Regardless of her answer, I will be back to discuss this further..." There was a change in his voice. "Wait, today's your birthday, isn't it? Did someone leave you a gift?"
"It appears so. I suppose they did not like my choice in eye wear and sent me these instead."
Annette could hear the door open slowly as William noted. "Did you want to go out and celebrate like we used to?"
"Not tonight. It appears that I have already gotten the best gift I could this day."
"Suit yourself. Don't forget about giving her that note. See you tomorrow." William said as the door closed with a soft click.
Annette's nerves didn't ease up, not knowing if he was really gone along with the prospect of Albert having more fun at her expense. She didn't have any time to think any of this through as she heard steps approaching.
She could see Albert standing at the foot of his bed, surveying the opposite side of the room before turning. As he finally caught sight of her, a slow smile started to spread.
Oh hell.
Wesker could not remember the last time he had this kind of personal amusement. His evening had become far more eventful than he would have liked, but it had some unexpected results. He riled up Birkin with such ease and now there was Annette hiding somewhere in his backroom. Time to hunt the little mouse.
As he ventured towards his bedroom, he adjusted the new glasses that he had just swapped out with his usual pair. I am not sure how she calibrated this pair so well and the style...
He stopped in the middle of his bedroom, glancing over to the bathroom and closet briefly. As he turned, he caught sight of her white labcoat in the shadow behind his door. A smile started to cross his features. If she could sink any further into that corner, she might disappear.
"You do not have to hide in that corner anymore." Wesker chuckled lowly, his arms crossed in front of him.
Annette detached slowly from the wall, her hand holding the door tightly. "Get it out of your system now, Albert. I swear I could hear your glee as you batted around William like a ball of yarn."
"Oh, you could hear our conversation, could you? You did not feel the need to add your own thoughts? I believe William would have been very interested in what you would have to say."
She glared at Albert, her expression melting as she noticed he was wearing the gift she had given him. "Ha. Ha. Funny. You know what kind of mess that would have caused? Somehow I can imagine you working away as William and I went head-to-head."
"It would certainly be more productive." Wesker watched as she approached closer, staring intently at his face. Ah. So she noticed.
Unexpectedly, Annette's hands reached for his glasses. He caught her wrists in quick reflex. "Do not remove my glasses."
"I wasn't. You didn't have them adjusted correctly. Just let me finish what I was doing." She insisted.
His grip loosened, but still held firm. "Quickly." Her fingers brushed along his ears lightly. As a small snapping could be heard, Annette started to retreat.
"What did you do?" Wesker asked, keeping her trapped. It had been a long while since the last woman tried to touch my glasses.
Annette tried to pull back her wrists, frowning. "There's a small amount of traction that will keep your glasses from ever falling off. I forgot to snap them back into place before I wrapped it."
Wesker released her, his fingers tugging on the sides of his dark glasses with careful investigation. Impressive. I will have to examine these closer later.
"Do you like them?" Annette rubbed at her wrist absently as she watched him.
He gave a brief nod, taking the glasses off completely. "These seem to be acceptable."
Annette arched an eyebrow, her gaze roving over his face curiously. "Not too tight? Not your style?"
"I will let you know if there are any problems." Wesker murmured, sidestepping to place the pair on his nightstand. "As much as I know you like being in my bedroom, there is work that I need to attend to."
Annette flushed a deep shade of red, seeming to recall at that moment where she stood. She turned for the door. "I really am sorry for barging in and intruding more than I ever meant to. If William starts to give you grief, let me know since it's likely my fault right now."
"I never said you were intruding." Wesker gave a half-shrug, stepping towards his living room when Annette leaned heavily against the door frame. "William is easy to spin out of my way. He will not be a problem."
Annette sighed deeply, effectively cutting him off from reaching his desk without realizing it. "I-It's my fault for letting it get this bad. I didn't realize that he would look at it this way... As though I was starting a relationship with you."
Wesker leaned in close from behind, whispering in her ear. "It does appear to be that way." He let his fingers slide through her loose ponytail to accentuate his point. She is a fine woman I have to admit. A total waste in Birkin's unskilled hands.
Annette stiffened as she felt his touch, taking a few steps forward before turning to face him. "I didn't mean for him to get the wrong impression. I simply get so involved in what I'm doing that I become forgetful. Honestly, he's worse for that much more than I."
It was now his turn to lean against the door frame, taking her in as if were the first time they had ever met. "Is that what I am? The wrong impression? I hardly think so." He loosened his black tie and unbuttoned the black collar of his shirt. Watching her become flustered is quite amusing.
Annette's mind felt like it was close to overload and Albert was not helping matters. She wanted so badly to close her eyes and wish the rest of this day gone. Yet she couldn't stop herself from staring a little too long. As he shed his tie and outer dress shirt, there was a black undershirt that was her main distraction. It's likely he's doing this on purpose now.
"I-I should go. I'll just take the note and floppy and get out of your way." She stammered nervously, noticing the note that was supposed to be on the chair wasn't there. Oh please no...
Albert chided. "Are you looking for this?" He held a folded piece of paper in one hand with a smirk. "Would you like me to read it out loud to you?"
"Not particularly. Don't you need to get back to your work?" Annette pointed out again. She held out her hand for the note, wriggling her fingers urgently.
With a low chuckle, Albert moved past her to reclaim his seat behind his crescent-shape desk. "Are you sure you want it? If it is from William, I am sure it will on serve to agitate you and I need you to look over the newest data tonight." He casually flipped the folded note between his fingers.
Annette tried to rush over quickly to grab the note, ending in failure as he kept it out of reach. Now who is being childish? She stood over him, holding her hand out again. "I wasn't going to forgo tonight's work, so please hand the note over."
Albert stared at her coolly, his naked gaze twice as potent. "Never try to take anything that I do not give freely." His warning hung in the air between them.
Anything? Who does he think he is? That's it. My patience is gone and the gloves are coming off! Her mind rebelled, shifting from one gear to another. Annette let a sly smile slide across her face, her eyes never leaving his. "Anything, Albert? My my, am I allowed to do anything at all?"
Albert leaned back into his chair, holding up the note for her with a gratified grin. "Ahh. There you are. I was wondering when I would see that spark again."
Swiping the note from his clutches, Annette stuffed it into her first available pocket. "Why do you have to be so insufferably difficult? Does it actually cause you pain to do something that isn't manipulative?"
"Careful, Anne. You tread dangerously." Albert still appeared to be enjoying this, his hand slipping into his stack of files to retrieve the floppy disc. "Here is the disc. See? No pain at all."
Annette regarded the disc for a moment before returning it to his direct gaze. "You are only keeping me from getting back to analyzing in my own personal quarters." Her fingers grasped the edge of the disc gingerly, carefully stowing it away in her labcoat. "Do you have any other insightful information or can I leave now?"
"You may leave whenever you wish, Anne." In one swift motion, he was towering over her again, sliding one file from his desk into the third rack with careful scrutiny.
Annette frowned lightly at his usual indifference. "Good night, Albert." She turned for the door, barely making a step as his hands embraced her shoulders.
"Thank you." His breath tickled her ear as he leaned in from behind. His grasp disappeared from her shoulders at that instance. Annette flushed despite herself. Did I hear him right? Is he feeling alright?
Annette faced him again, her cheeks a nice shade of pink. "For wha-?" At that moment, Albert's fingers caught her chin, tilting it upwards to stare into his unreadable sapphire gaze.
"For this." His lips lowered to the cheek that bore the light scar. It was a gentle yet brief kiss that lasted for ten long seconds before his eyes searched hers again, watching, waiting.
Annette could no longer form any coherent thought. Everything had gone utterly blank as she couldn't break the gaze. She searched his eyes, trying to find an answer she knew would never come. It didn't feel like her hand rising to slide slowly along his smooth cheek. She could almost swear that he leaned into her touch. Their eye contact ceased as he bent his head, taking her lips with a gentleness she hadn't expected from him. Despite herself, she pressed closer as the kiss became hungrier. Nothing seemed to matter in that one perfect moment.
Somehow, Annette's senses crept back as she pulled away slowly, trying to regain some semblance of composure. Albert released her chin, his eyes opening to find hers again. Still, she couldn't read his features as her thumb rubbed along his bottom lip. A slight smile formed as she grasped his chin in the same manner, her lips savoring his again as she returned the same tenderness.
This time around, Albert drew away from her slowly with a brief caress of her cheek. She thought she caught a slight hint of color in his face . He sat down in his chair again as Annette stood before him.
Annette touched her fingers to her mouth, taking one step back as she started to put space between her and Albert. Her feet managed to lead her to the door, unable to look back as she feared how far such a weakness could go. How could I? Yet I wanted to... I wanted to. I'm sorry, William. I don't even feel guilty in the slightest...
"Y-You're welcome, Albert." She managed to speak, turning the knob on the door in one agonizing turn yet she couldn't open the door.
Albert had already returned to his work as he shuffled through the first file. When he didn't hear her departure, he shifted in his chair to glance over to see Annette stuck at his door. "A favor. I wish to use one."
That was enough to kick Annette into motion, her shoulders straightening as she regained some inner strength. "Favor? What?" Her voice strained.
"Meet me here on Sunday, around noon." Albert replied as he tapped the file on his desk, placing it into the closest shelf.
Annette furrowed her brow in confusion, still facing the door. "What? For what?"
"That is all I am going to say. If you disregard my request, you will owe me another favor on top of the ones withstanding." Albert noted, booting up his computer.
Annette huffed indignantly. "I'll see what I can do." With that, she rushed back into the hallway, shutting the door quickly as she made beeline for the elevator. As she waited, the realization dawned on her with both fascination and trepidation.
I know now the answer why; for I love them both.