#misc: asks

It was then that she had pushed herself even harder. Even though they had both promised each other to always put work first, never to let their secret compromise the mission, she had really spent the entire day with his scent and touch in her head.

Perhaps it hadn’t been fair of herself as well, when she hadn’t kept her hands to herself either. Tracing a finger from one shoulder to the other, stroking his back as she walked past him in his office and collected the papers. As if her ears had only waited for his long take of fresh air, the smile had been stuck on her face for the rest of the day.

It had been easier again, once she was embraced by the cool temperatures of her lab and her eyes were analyzing virus cells instead of the twitch in Chris Redfield’s muscles when enjoying their little illicit touch.

What he was now doing to her right under their friends’ noses was his payback.

“Everything alright?”

After years of fighting the man-made horror that constantly tries to bring down humanity, she shouldn’t be so easily startled anymore. The new officers at the BSAA were still trying to figure out if there wasn’t a little soldier in her after all, killing B.O.Ws without the blinking of an eye. Their wide eyes as they watched their science expert put several bullet’s into the living dead.

She would probably always be the science geek who has to prove herself to every new recruit, as they’d never fully understand what fighting for your life several times does even to a young civilian.

Carmen felt Chris’ breath against her neck before she could turn around fully and his hands found her waist all on their own — just as his lips the delicate spot behind her right ear. Her tall, brown-haired friend had made it his mission to find every piece on her body that would make her relax as soon as he would give it his attention. Before Chris she hadn’t even known she had so many. She even had the theory he had put them all there.

“That isn’t exactly keeping it a secret, Redfield.” Usually, his last name from her lips was accompanied by a tone of distaste, as always when she disagreed with him, but now he had even turned this around. Now, it even ended with a hidden giggle, as she felt his smile pressed against her thin skin underneath her ear.

“No one else is here.” His low voice, a rumble in his chest, oh they were walking dangerous territory.

Carmen chuckled and even as much as her heart was beating out of her chest, the memory of his touch somewhere else, somewhere more illicit, she would never do this to Barry. The poor man would probably get a heart attack if he’d catch them. “Forget it. Not in Barry’s kitchen.”

Chris, who had been occupied with tracing the side of her neck with soft kisses, broke out in a similar laughter as his sister before, but quieter and only for her ears. “Do you really think I’m going to ravish you in Barry’s kitchen?”

“I wouldn’t put it past you, Mr. I-can-lock-my-office,” Carmen answered. Her heart was exploding when he gifted her with just another one of his smiles so full of smugness. It pinched in her chest as she noticed how rare those smiles were from him. Chris hadn’t lost any of his usual dry humor in between his serious stance and often stern way of ordering people. She still remembered that young police man who had saved her life years ago. Dark hair combed back and only a few strains hanging over his forehead after fighting the undead for several hours.

Chris Redfield had been nothing else than a rather exhausting man and later on ally, making clear he did not trust her farther than he could throw her ( perhaps not even that far ), but there had been this glimmer of optimism around him. The will to survive and get out of that nightmare mansion without losing anyone else.

Then, after time, Carmen supposed, Chris had been smiling less, but the will to save people, to protect them, has never faded. It stuck, even though she thought he had been losing some of the light in his eyes. The cost for seeing and surviving so many deaths.

But now, he was beaming almost as much as the resting sun behind him. The soft evening glow was casting his dark hair and a beautiful chestnut shade and his azure eyes were a tint lighter. She would willingly drown in them.

“Still with me?”

Carmen shook her head, returning from her daydreams and only now has she noticed the separate life her body has just lived. She had turned around, leaving the dishes behind and her fingers had found a new home on the back of his neck, softly brushing the short hair, while her left hand was resting on his broad shoulder. Again, she was reminded how small she was compared to him, as she could easily hide behind him. Now he also made her daydream. It was so unlike her.

“Where else would I want to be?”

She watched his eyes narrow along the soft smile, impossible to keep her eyes open as his forehead met hers. His grip around her waist got firmer, but not uncomfortable. His way to show her, he wouldn’t let her go.

“Going soft on me, Lopez?”

Carmen scoffed, but her grinning lips were betraying her. “Don’t kid yourself, Redfield. You’re just pretty to look at.”

He growled. “Brat.”

“Oh, but you like it,” Carmen whispered before she closed the agonizing distance between their lips, losing the fight to hold back a deep sigh. Minutes must have passed, even though they felt like tiny blissful eternities packed into no less than mere seconds, as they both heard heavy footsteps and separated. If she was feeling dramatic, Carmen would even say she had hurt herself when she ripped herself from Chris. He was by far better in hiding what they had been doing, as he grabbed a towel and quickly fell into a cleaning and dry dynamic of the dishes.

“Here you are! Claire was wondering where you two went.” If Barry had been noticing anything, he didn’t let it show on his face, as he placed a load of leftovers on the counter beside them.

“We’re just talking,” Chris explained.

“And cleaning.” Damn it. Her eyes shot down on the plate in her hands, hoping Barry (or Chris) had noticed the weird tone in her voice or her burning cheeks. Was her hair in place?

Barry stopped in his motion to place the leftovers in the refrigerator. “You alright, kid?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Just a hot day, nothing else.”

Carmen dared to take a look at Chris, who seemed rather unbothered. How could he play this so cool?

“Why don’t you join Jill and Claire in the pool. I can take over.”

Her face lightened up, grinning wide at Barry. “Thank you, Barry.”

Without a moment of hesitation, Carmen dried her hands and softly patted Chris on his shoulder. “You should join too, when you are done here.”

The way to the backdoor was a rush, her confidence getting the better of her as she freed herself from the black tank top and opened the door with just her dark red bikini top and the remaining denim shorts. The victory written all over her face was sweet as she turned her head, catching Chris in the act of taking in every newly exposed part of her olive skin.