The world slowed to a snail's pace as the options laid bare before you.
Follow him or do your job.
Stay with him or run off to your objective.
Love or fortune.
A torturous decision you had to make.
"[Your Name]! Come on!"
Piers called out when he noticed you weren't right behind him anymore. His head whipped from his Captain to you a few steps back. His hands shifted on the rifle before his lips bared his teeth in an indecisive snarl.
"Piers!"
Chris bellowed with clear urgency while he checked the next room, waiting impatiently for his Lieutenant's appearance.
But you? Your gaze travelled from the broken window to the man still waiting for you.
You still remember the day he didn't. When he kept running, as if he expected you to catch up or die trying.
Seems like he's come a long way in caring for you.
"What are you waiting for?!"
He sounded mad. Irritated at your sudden lack of reaction.
You were just staring at him, as if you were contemplating things.
Piers shot one more look at Chris, who was waiting in the other room before he suddenly moved.
He crossed the distance between you two in fairly few steps before his hand reached for your shoulder.
"Hey, [Your Name]! Don't zone out, we're still in a hot zone!"
"I know."
So you did find the ability to talk after such agonisingly short moments.
Although his hazel eyes burning through your own only squeezed your heart into absolute pain.
You wanted to kiss him.
Oh, how you yearned for his lips to brush against your own.
To feel the weight of them against you. Kissing you. Tasting you.
You wondered how they felt.
If they were as soft as they looked.
How they'd burn a warmer shade from a bruising kiss. How shiny they'd look covered in your shared saliva.
And he saw every second of it.
The air stuttered in his chest on the next intake. He tried to cover it, as if anybody from his team could've seen it. He knew that look.
Piers knew how you yearned for him.
And he wasn't even talking about your obvious comments or the compliments.
The muscles in his jaw jumped as the two of you continued to stare at the other.
The world practically fell away the longer the moment held up.
Your lips pressed into a thin line when you blinked out of your trance, focusing back on the present and the situation you were all in.
It felt like the tension was suffocating him. His hand on your shoulder adjusted itself before he reassessed his grip. His adams apple bobbed when he swallowed a load of spit.
And you couldn't have been more transfixed on a simple bodily action.
"Piers, [Your Name]! What are we waiting for?! Keep moving!"
The footsteps stomping their way back into the room were unmistakable.
The voice booming through the space neither.
Chris stormed back to join you two but he paused short of the doorway at the sight he was greeted with.
You and Piers. Standing mere inches from each other. The sniper's hand falling from your shoulder to wrap back around his rifle. The way Piers shifted.
Like Redfield had interrupted something.
Your gaze found his only briefly before you focused back on the man infront of you.
Even Chris saw the love you held for his lieutenant. It wasn't hard to miss the glimmer in your eyes whenever you looked at him.
"You go ahead. I got something else to take care of."
A sentence you forced out with false bravado. The smile on your lips was shaky. A front you pushed up.
Neither of you would've ever guessed that you, the great mercenary extraordinaire (according to literally just you), would ever be this emotional while parting ways.
You weren't crying. Your eyes weren't even welling up. But you carried this heavy weight of knowing you'd have to leave them behind for your job. Leaving him behind like he was a temporary amusement.
"Don't be stupid. Both of you."
You directed at both soldiers. The smile on your lips growing despite never quite reaching your eyes.
Your hands briefly reached for Piers' arms, holding onto him almost awkwardly while you gaze fluttered around him. Like you couldn't find it in yourself to look at anymore.
And then, you disappeared.
Pulled back and already ran towards that very same window.
Piers and Chris just watched as you jumped through the broken frame, dragging shards after your descent.
But the sniper dashed towards the window like it was a reflex.
A reflex to look after you.
A subconscious action to check on you.
Your name had left his lips the very second you bolted away but nothing stopped you.
He watched as your silhoutte sprinted over the rooftops to god knows where.
The ever growing ache in his heart turning unbearable.
"Piers."
He barely registered the voice of his Captain. Barely noticed the gibberish screams of the J'avo starting to close in.
It took a solid moment before he snapped out of it. His hands shifted on the firearm, tightening in their resolve until he suddenly moved.
"I know. Let's go."
He couldn't let something as simple as your departure distract him from the mission.
Not even when his head screamed at him to follow you. To drag you back and make sure you were right behind him.
God, what did you do to him? When did this connection started to weave itself into a bond? When did he start to care for you like this?
(THIS IS A DIFFERENT ROUTE FOR MERC!READER AND PIERS DURING THE EVENTS OF RE6! I really wanted to make them kiss but I decided that yearning would be better. Yearning is the way to go. Always. Even if it's you doing the yearning. Don't worry, he will too at some point. YOU FELL FIRST BUT HE FELL HARDER!!)
Bro why you gotta do this to me



















