resident evil oneshots ! ☆

☹︎✴︎ [c.r.] iii : professor?

"yeah? ya' did?" the way the mug almost slips out of his hand, at the mention of you, could almost be considered comical. chris's jaw clenches, making the cords in his neck turn stiff and protrude against his tan skin as he grips the handle so hard his knuckles turn white from the sudden pressure.

he swallows audibly, placing the ceramic cup under the machine. the sound of him swallowing his own spit was the only thing that could be heard, besides the brewing noises that followed soon after he pressed the 'start' button.

it's so quiet; just him and the stupid megamind in the room. chris's arrived early for once, after all... none of three staff, nobody feels the need to be here yet. "is that what her last name is, then?"

"yep." is all piers offers, popping the 'p' just like chris had done earlier. he can't quite tell if the action is meant in jest or to belittle him.

"well, uh-" the poor man takes a breather, rubbing the back of his neck with one twitchy palm. "you know me... can't even remember a student's face, much less an entire name. hah! especially a last name like that... 'l/n.' silly last name, don't ya think?"

"is that so?" piers angles his head in almost a nonchalant manner, tuning in on the colleague's sudden babbling and overexplaining. "because it seemed to me like you knew her rather well?"

silence.

and then: beep!

'coffee's done, mr. redfield!'

chris jumps at the sound, looking like he might just jolt right out of his skin. he clears his throat whilst grabbing his mug almost urgently now - as if almost in relief that he gets to do something with his hands, even though the heated mug is probably going to burn the skin right off of his fingers.

"well, i don't." he says finally, eyes insisting on steering clear from the only other person in the room. He sucks in a sharp breath through pursed lips as he sets down the mug onto the counter and shakes his hands to get rid of the heat searing his palms. "don't know her all that well, i-i mean..." jesus, has the room always been this hot?

"really? you're sure?" mr. nivans repeats and blinks at the loud thud that comes from the drawer as his colleague pushes it with way too much fervour right after grabbing the teaspoon.

"yes, piers. i don't know her." fed up, chris mixes the sugar into his coffee with too much force, making a couple of droplets spill over the rim and onto the counter. not bothering to clean up the little mess properly, he just swipes his own hand across it.

but his stiff posture and refusal to say more doesn't stop the corrections professor from prodding further. "well, what did you talk about for so long, then? if you don't know her like you say, of course?"

mr. redfield shrugs. "nothin' much."

yet, mr. nivans continues to push. "try and enlighten me, please."

"christ?" he scoffs slightly, scrubbing a tired hand across his face; two fingers rubbing circles into his left temple as if it hurts just to think. "she just said good morning, alright? damn... what are you breathin' down my neck for, all of a sudden?"

"just 'good morning', huh? that's interesting..." piers doesn't even try to hide the fact that he doesn't believe him. ignoring the question, he seems utterly unconvinced.

"why are you acting so weird about this?"

"why? because you're acting weird."

chris groans at the stare he feels burning into his back, but otherwise remains silent; tossing the spoon into the little dishwasher they had all pitched in for the previous year. for once in his life, he doesn't wish to talk and elaborate any further.