𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞.

short  &  sweet  !  my  name  is  si.  i’m  twenty - six,  she  /  her.  i  work  full - time  as  a  WEB  /  EMAIL  DEVELOPER  (  aka  i  code  things  ),  and  when  time  permits,  i  write  CHRIS  REDFIELD.  most  of  this  interpretation  is  game  and  novel - based  ―  i  don’t  incorporate  the  paul  w. s.  anderson  movies,  but  the  animated  movies  are  fair - game.

QUICK  LINKS  :  𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚐𝚕𝚎  𝚍𝚘𝚌.  rules,  character  overview,  verses. 𝚛𝚙  𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚜.  * for  mutuals  only.  

the firefly is not so selfish knowing how tightly wound his soldier is . sitting here day after day is etched in worry along chris’ face . staying here was doing him no good and that’s okay . although , he knows that to not be true in his love’s eyes . the way he can barely glance at him for fear he’s done something wrong . 

of course , he does . it show he knows for sure that chris has not rested at all . just by looking at him , he probably appears worse off than paul does . weakly , paul tilts his head to gesture for chris to come closer . ❝  come here , ❞ there will be no leaving his bed side now , there’s no guessing that . chris is here and no matter the amount of begging it would do nothing to sway this soldier from the side of the firefly . so before there is ever an argument there is a compromise . ❝ sit with me . lay your head down and shut your eyes . you look terrible , ❞ maybe terrible but still the most gorgeous site paul has ever laid eyes on . 

if  he  had  just  a  fraction  more  energy,  if  exhaustion  was  even  a  degree  less  overwhelming,  chris  might  protest.  he  might  find  it  in  himself  to  argue  that  he’s  fine,  that  it’s  paul  who  ought  to  be  resting  after  what  he’s  endured.  and  yet,  in  spite  of  any  and  all  protests  he  might  have  offered,  chris  finds  himself  approaching  and  sinking  carefully  into  the  empty  space  on  the  bed  beside  at  first,  it’s  only  that.  sitting  on  the  edge  as  he  tugs  off  boots  and  socks.  both  seem  to  take  far  more  effort  than  they  ought  to,  but  damned  if  it  doesn’t  just  feel  good  to  be  sitting.

                        @virusfought​​ said :  ‘stay there. i’m coming there to get you.’

                                          different ways to say ‘ i love you’ 

if looking around is any indication , then paul isn’t sure where he’s going .  eyes fall on the large hill that sits where a road used to be . its wet and muddy and the rain is falling in thick SHEETS . fortunately for him , the hunter that tried to claim his life hadn’t been so lucky when they both hit the bottom of the ravine . a piece of rebar sticks from his chest and despite the struggle , paul  hopes his death was swift . 

his leg is SHOOTING pain and all the firefly can hope for is that it isn’t broken .  wouldn’t that put a damper in any plan they had . how could that even be set ?? silently he curses many words that he wouldn’t say before chris finally pops his head over the side of the broken road above . 

          stay there. i’m coming there to get you. 

of course , his love’s voice is a bit panicked and worried . why wouldn’t it ?? how the hell are they both supposed to get out if he gets down here . moving doesn’t prove to be much use with his leg in the shape its in , but it won’t stop him from trying . a hand grips the car door next to him to pull himself up , a cry of pain let out and a lot more effort than he should have had to use .  ❝  chris , i don’t see any way back up . it’s too risky !!  ❞ he calls back up over the sound of the pounding rain . 

it may be hard to speak over the noise of nature but what isn’t hard to hear is the unmistakable infected that were alerted after the gunfire from the assailant that now occupies the ravine with him . at least he doesn’t have to deal with what he started . paul’s head whips around and then back up to where chris is. he heard it too by the twisted expression he gives . instantly , his pistol is out , checking to see how many rounds he has . its not like he can run this time . 

no.  no no no.  the  only  thought  running  through  chris’  mind  when  he  watches,  helplessly,  as  road  gives  way  in  a  landslide,  and  paul  disappears  from  view.  he  cannot  follow,  not  immediately  ;  there  are  still  hunters  up  here  to  be  dealt  with,  and  chris  is  no  good  to  the  man  he  loves  if  he’s  dead  himself.  but,  god,  there  aren’t  words  for  the  relief  that  floods  him  when  he  is  finally  able  to  peer  over  that  ledge  and  spots  his  firefly  alive  and,  at  least  for  the  most  part,  intact.  

his  warning  does  not  fall  on  deaf  ears,  though  it’s  a  very  near  thing  with  chris’  thoughts  so  wholly  consumed  with  just  GETTING  TO  PAUL,  whatever  it  takes.  but  he’s  right,  the  way  is  slicked  with  rain  making  climbing  back  up  unassisted  next  to  impossible.  rope,  then.  they  have  it.  chris  makes  certain  to  carry  it  whenever  possible.  but  paul  . . .  the  way  he  seems  to  be  favoring  that  leg  doesn’t  bode  well.  

                      @virusfought​ said :  “ i’m not letting them get away with this. ”

                                                      protective prompts. 

          his face is swollen , blood mats in his hair and he’d be furious if it wasn’t for the sheer fact that he’s alive . maybe that simple reason being that he’d played as closed to dead as he could before the hunters were distracted by some noise in the distance. whether it was chris or not , he doesn’t know but his love is here now .  large hands gingerly touching his face after he’d helped him sit up against the wall to assess the damage . by the look , ( hell he can only open one eye thus far ) the diagnosis isn’t good . 

in true paul fashion , he lifts a hand to brush chris’ away as if its not as bad as it is . ❝  they’re long gone …  if we go after them we’re only looking for trouble .  ❞  paul can see the ANGER growing over the features of his love with every passing moment . if he does this there may be no coming back from it .  

❝  i’m fine … they made too much noise though … ❞  reveling in their victory and praising themselves for victimizing one man with a group of their own . ❝  you need to help me up and we need to leave . ❞  his voice is hoarse and the blood dripping from his face doesn’t tell a convincing tale of the firefly being anything CLOSE to fine. 

it’s  not  enough.  paul  is  safe,  alive  and  breathing,  still  warm  beneath  his  hands,  but  even  that  miracle  isn’t  enough  to  quell  the  rage  burning  away  at  him  from  the  inside.  his  veins  are  alight  with  it,  searing  with  a  combination  of  venom  and  adrenaline  and  so  much  anger  it’s  suffocating.  part  of  him  wants  to  follow  the  hunters.  avenge  each  and  every  bruise  and  abrasion  he  can  count  across  paul’s  skin  (  and  the  countless  others  he  knows  must  be  just  out  of  sight  ).  it  feels  as  if  he’s  being  split  in  two,  half  of  him  drawn  on  along  the  path  in  pursuit  of  his  very  own  BRAND  OF  JUSTICE.

and  yet  here  he  stays.  when  paul  brushes  away  his  hand,  it  only  finds  new  resting  place  on  his  shoulder.  in  truth,  the  contact  is  as  much  to  anchor  chris  as  it  is  to  reassure  his  wounded  love.  paul  is  here,  and  paul  needs  him  more  than  he  needs  to  indulge  that  burning  need  for  revenge.  more  importantly  :  paul  is  right.  if  he’d  heard  the  commotion,  he  wouldn’t  have  been  the  only  one.  the  infected  will  be  coming.

❛   oh,  LAZARUS,                        how  did  your  debts  get  paid ?? ❜

the moment chris stepped foot through the door , paul’s mind went into panic mode , after the initial greeting and reunion , of course . once his husband was finally asleep , he’d made the late night call to his boss . the situation could be understood , even if paul felt a bit of guilt for calling at the time of night but in the end it got him some much needed time off. working is what kept him busy while his husband was away . 

paul would work seven days a week if his boss would let him , sometimes he did , especially when he needed something to keep his mind extra busy . ❝  i don’t think i’d have any complaints about that though . ❞ if only they could stay like this . paul might do all he can to stay here with chris , but they both know it would only last for so long . when duty calls , chris goes without hesitation . the duty to his country is a bit annoying at times when all paul wants is the man to himself . 

with a purse of his lips that may have an over exaggerated pop entailed to enhance his feigned innocence . ❝  i may have booked a cabin in advance MONTHS ago and paid extra to keep it vacant in such a case that you thought you’d be sneaky and surprise me . i didn’t even pay that much extra because the guy happens to be a big supporter of the military , but you’ll never guess where . ❞ just so happens he booked the very same cabin in one of chris’ very favorite spots that they went to on their first anniversary . just the pair of them in the middle of nowhere . 

the  mention  of  the  cabin  has  smile  splitting  across  chris’  features.  he  might  have  a  notion  of  the  place  paul’s  referring  to.  if  he’s  right,  they  haven’t  been  there  in  ages  ;  a  year  or  so  at  the  very  least.  a  cozy  cabin  up  in  the  ADIRONDACKS,  with  nothing  but  evergreens  and  mountain  air.  not  a  grain  of  sand  in  sight.  skillet  goes  temporarily  abandoned  and  forgotten  as  he  crosses  to  bracket  paul’s  hips  with  a  hand  on  either  side  of  the  counter.  ❝  don’t  tell  me  you  got  the  anniversary  cabin  . . .  ❞

brown  gaze  narrows,  searching  paul’s  face  for  any  sign  of  a  tell.  oh,  a  clever  one,  his  husband.  ❝  you  got  the  anniversary  cabin.  ❞  chris  leans  in,  pressing  a  kiss  to  each  of  paul’s  cheeks.  thank  god  for  this  man.  he’d  happily  stay  in  a  hovel  if  it  meant  he  could  stay  there  with  the  love  of  his  life.  staying  in  the  cabin  where  they’d  celebrated  their  first  year  of  marriage  is  just  icing  on  top  of  an  already  heaping  cake.  ❝  how’d  i  get  to  be  so  lucky  ?  ❞

         does he take advantage of this man’s devotion to him ?? perhaps . or is he just that comfortable knowing the moves of his stubborn scot and the fact that he’d follow him to the edges of earth .  the pacifist knows that forgiveness does not come easy with the scot , yet he still pulls this , but he cannot help what he knows he needs in order to keep his own mental state in check . still feels selfish in a way no matter how much he spins it . chris was worried to the point that he’d let his anger take over . 

❝  but i do if it makes you angry . you stormed this place like you were back on the battlefield . ❞ deep down he knows that chris’ anger stems from paul needing that time away from everything … FROM HIM . that isn’t it . it never would be , but his guilt lays thick and he has to see to it that its taken care of without burdening others with his own personal issues . this is not chris’ burden to bear , but it seems that paul has unknowingly made it so .

his fears are made true though when chris speaks without being able to look at him . ❝  hey … ❞ he says with sadness lacing his tone . fingers lift to tilt chris’ chin towards him and paul places a kiss on those lips he can still taste from earlier .  he couldn’t ever imagine NOT kissing those lips . ❝  i will always come back to you , but you always just get here first . if its that much of a worry for you , i won’t leave again . i never want to make you unhappy . ever .  ❞

how many more times of paul running away would chris finally just not come after him? that thought hits him enough that he has to take in a sharp breath and busy his nose into the side of his love’s neck . ❝  i’m sorry . ❞

memory  is  recalled  with  a  bit  of  a  grimace.  on  the  battlefield,  indeed.  but  that  anger  was  the  product  of  concern,  and  possibly  a  fair  bit  of  resentment  not  for  paul’s  absence,  but  for  the  months  spent  trying  and  failing  to  establish  any  sort  of  contact.  he’d  feared  the  worst,  and  it  in  turn  brought  out  the  worst  in  him.  still,  that  sort  of  anger  isn’t  meant  for  the  man  he  loves.  ❝  aye  . . .  not  my  finest  moment.  ❞

he  knows  paul’s  apology  is  sincere,  as  is  his  offer  to  stay.  some  part  of  chris,  not  entirely  a  minority,  would  love  nothing  more  than  to  accept  that  offer.  to  NEVER  BE  PARTED  from  this  man  he  so  cherishes.  to  hold  him  always  and  never  have  to  let  go.  but  even  as  he  wants  that,  he  could  never  ask  it.  chris  exhales  conflict  in  a  long  breath,  lifting  a  hand  to  slip  fingers  into  long,  dark  hair.  ❝  i  won’t  ever  make  you  choose  between  me  and  your  freedom.  ❞  that  wouldn’t  be  love  at  all.

his heart is too heavy with the weight of it all . this is the prime example of GOD’S WRATH . so many lives lost , so many homes and merchants destroyed in the havoc . he has faith but this is sometimes what he doesn’t understand about it all , but he knows it’ll only drive him mad if the mind thinks on it too much . 

they did agree to meet here , but with how paul has treated him and the sheer length of time since his arrival . its been weeks and christopher is still here . by now , paul does know him to be a man of his word but there has to be a time limit … right ?? paul moves closer to the basin of water , attempts to run his hand through the curls atop his head only to realize its a tangled mess . futile endeavor . one step at a time . the urge to be more grateful is settling in his bones , but the words cannot seem to find their way to the surface .

slowly he washes , the water is warm as its been sitting by the fire and the process of removing all the dirt and caked mud is making him feel a bit more human . after he’s content with the outcome , paul sets to putting on the clothes provided . he doesn’t think he’s ever been more grateful for the invention than he is right now . when he’s dressed , still quiet as ever , he gets up and takes a seat next to chris with a soft sigh . ❝ thank you … ❞

words  of  gratitude  are  dismissed  with  a  shrug  of  broad  shoulders.  as  much  as  the  scot  would  like  to  say  he  knows  the  prince  would  do  the  same  for  him  . . .  he’s  still  not  so  certain.  he’s  earned  his  way  into  improved  graces  of  late,  but  it’s  a  tenuous  thing  at  best.  still,  they’re  here  now,  and  it  does  lift  spirits  to  see  the  royal  gratefully  accepting  what  few  amenities  christopher  has  been  able  to  cobble  together  in  his  time  here.  one  such  offering  comes  in  the  form  of  warm  whisky  poured  into  waiting  cup  and  slid  across  the  short  distance  to  rest  before  paul.

❝  it  helps,  ❞  he  says.  he  leaves  meaning  vague  ―  the  drink  does  cure  a  multitude  of  ills,  and  not  all  of  them  are  physical.  he’s  partaken  in  more  than  his  share  in  recent  days,  but  with  his  fellow  immortal  restored  to  him,  christopher  finds  himself  less  inclined  to  indulge.  ❝  there’s  meat,  if  yer  hungry.  not  many  creatures  about  right  now,  but  i  managed  a  deer.  ❞  he  doesn’t  mention  that  there  is  only  a  few  portions  worth.  the  rest  was  given  to  nearby  church  to  be  shared  among  desolate  worshipers.  no  sense  in  waste,  he’d  thought.

in all honesty , paul thought he had a bit more time before his husband would return with the groceries . he’d left with a stern warning to remain horizontal but paul has been stir crazy for a couple of days now .  should have known he’d try to catch him in the act of DEFYING him . what a trickster . 

❝  i don’t think you realize just how little time we have left . ❞ he says with almost a pout . hard to determine if he’s being dramatic or the sickness really is making him that pitiful . there’s a need in him to make this perfect . there’s already so many eyes on them , he feels . chris’ family is tight knit and close where paul in inadequately matched when it comes to that . he doesn’t have family . chris IS his family and everything has to be perfect . 

he huffs when he’s given no other choice and slowly lifts himself from the chair and suddenly grateful for the hands that grip his arms . dizziness sets in almost instantly , but he shakes his head to help him to dispel it . ❝  i just want everything to be perfect , ❞chris deserves it with as much as he does for him as well as his country . 

chris  knows  how  much  this  means  to  his  fiance,  even  if  the  sentiment  isn’t  ENTIRELY  SHARED.  it’s  important  to  chris  because  it’s  important  to  paul,  but  not  important  enough  to  warrant  paul  subjecting  himself  to  this.  confidence  grows  in  his  decision  when  paul  sways  against  him  ―  definitely  back  to  bed  with  this  one.  still,  he  isn’t  unsympathetic,  and  the  last  thing  he  wants  is  to  make  paul  feel  like  this  doesn’t  matter.

they will feel as if a part of them is missing for a while . like a ghost limb , possibly because in truth , they will be . they’ve always been a team , A FAMILY , and booker is still family . always will be despite the betrayal . at least , to paul he will  . losing that trust has done some damage on the normally composed pacifist . they will all cope in their own ways , but paul won’t have to be alone .

❝  yeah … yeah , i’m sure i’ll be ready to shove you out of a moving train before its over , ❞ he chuckles as chris presses lips against his brow . how such a little gesture makes him feel that much safer , he will never know , but he will never question it either .

all the time in the world . oh he loves the sound of that though it is strange coming from this man he’s had to shove his own brand of positivity into for centuries . the origin isn’t a secret , not really , this is chris trying to keep paul’s head above water . the role traded out of necessity and he is GRATEFUL for that shoulder to lean on in his time of need . ❝ but for now it will be enough  and you have . more so than anyone else in this world . its either patience or stupidity . could be a mixture . ❞

before  it’s  over,  paul  says,  and  chris  can  only  think  the  words  are  bittersweet.  the  scot  will  always  prefer  them  united.  together.  and  in  that  regard,  he  is  happy  to  have  paul  with  him  for  as  long  as  he  can.  but  the  circumstances  make  it  a  less  enjoyable  prospect.  because  he  knows  it  stems  from  an  insecurity  inflicted  not  only  by  booker’s  betrayal  but  the  inhumane  treatment  they  suffered  at  that  place.  the  world  is  a  scary  place,  always  has  been,  but  paul  should  never  have  to  feel  afraid  of  it.  and,  right  now,  he  clearly  is.

chris  can  only  offer  safe  harbor  for  as  long  as  paul  needs  it,  ever  conflicted  between  celebrating  their  togetherness  and  regretting  the  cause.  enjoy  it  while  it  lasts,  scot,  he  tells  himself.  let  wounds  mend  in  the  time  they’re  due,  and  make  the  most  of  the  time  he’s  permitted  to  spend  with  his  love.  

He will thank him for this. If it wasn’t for him neither one of them would be in this situation. Chris is hurt too, he’s seen the bandages and it kills him that his husband endured what he did on his behalf. Hasn’t he dealt with enough? They are married, this is what they do. Take care of each other for better or for worse but Paul can still show gratitude for everything chris has done for him up to this point.

Knowing his husband , as he does , paul understands that this is so chris can keep busy . the darkness in his mind will take over if he lets it stay idle for too long . guilt lays thick with that on paul’s shoulders as well  . his attentions remain focused on chris as he leaves the room , perhaps he’ll disappear despite him going into a room that has no exit but the door he entered . paul feels silly thinking so , what is he ? what has he turned into if not some frightened little mouse running from his own shadow ??

then he reemerges and paul can finally breathe again , realizing he hadn’t bothered to take a breath for the few moments chris was gone . paul takes the pills as instructed with the water he has on his night stand , he notices how careful chris is to move . how he favors certain aspects of his body and how he covers them up just to be able to sleep . carefully he watches still as chris moves about the room , taking care to shut doors . the tv flickered on to lull out the dead silence . he does think of everything . ❝  all i need is you and i’ll be set . ❞ he says with a soft smile while curling into the fluffy comforter . full appreciation lacing his tone because truthfully he couldn’t be any more grateful to have this man as his spouse . 

a  smile,  and  chris  climbs  readily  (  if  a  bit  gingerly  )  into  their  bed  beside  his  husband.  ❝  now  that,  ❞  he  begins  as  he  settles  back  against  the  pillows,  ❝  i  think  i  can  manage.  ❞  it’s  too  early  for  him  to  sleep,  but  he’ll  happily  lie  beside  paul  and  watch  a  few  hours  of  harmless  home  renovation  until  his  mind  is  ready  to  shut  off.  as  long  as  he’s  close  to  the  man  he  loves.  that  closeness,  tangible  evidence  that  they  are  both  alive  after  that  hellish  ordeal,  is  peace  enough  for  the  weary  soldier.

❝  c’mere.  ❞  the  arm  closest  to  paul  is  extended  over  pillows  in  invitation  to  move  closer.  not  that  he  expects  the  invitation  is  needed.  their  space  is  always  shared,  and  that’s  never  been  more  true  than  it  is  now.  chris  waits  patiently  for  his  husband  to  settle  against  him,  marveling  at  how  easily  they  fit,  even  BATTERED  AND  BRUISED  as  they  are.  then,  once  paul  seems  at  least  relatively  comfortable,  that  arm  curls  around  narrow  shoulders  to  hold  him  ever  so  carefully  closer.  thumb  brushes  over  fabric  in  aimless  patterns,  meant  as  much  to  soothe  the  soldier  as  his  love.

       is he alone ?? is he with joseph ?? did the resistance keep him ?? all these thoughts swirling of all the possible outcomes that could have befallen his baby brother .  he can feel the shock fading into something that resembles panic . his heart is finally realizing the gravity , his mind is running rampant and the emotions . oh those are boiling over into something he cannot control . how is he supposed to keep going knowing that his brother died at the hands of the resistance ?? 

it doesn’t make sense , and maybe it should . a lot of people would tell him he should have seen this coming , but where  … where does the violence end ?? the countless amount of bloodshed all in the name of vengeance doesn’t just stop with one fallen SEED . they won’t stop until they’ve exacted their need for revenge on all of them . perhaps even paul  , regardless of how peaceful and helpful he may be . 

THE APOSTLE can’t think about that right now , all he wants is his brother . hands begin to push at chris , an attempt at getting to his feet despite the feeling of jelly wreaking havoc on his muscles . ❝  i … i need to see him , ❞ the more he speaks the more broken he seems to get . the utter devastation is making its way to the surface , and for everything its worth , paul is trying to swallow it as much as he can . if he lets it loose ?? he may never be the same . ❝  oh … john , ❞

chris  knows  ALL  TOO  WELL  the  pain  paul  is  feeling  now.  of  all  the  losses  one  can  suffer,  the  loss  of  a  younger  sibling  is  a  particularly  heavy  blow.  chris’  heart  wrenches,  equal  parts  in  remembrance  of  his  own  loss  and  empathy  for  what  paul  feels  so  freshly  now.  this  is  all  he  can  do  :  help  him  to  weather  the  storm.  so  chris  holds  fast,  firm  but  so  very  careful. 

❝  you  need  to  sit  down,  ❞  chris  counters,  keeping  voice  level.  there’s  no  force  or  edge  to  the  words.  he  aims  for  soothing,  but  the  burning  in  his  throat  makes  it  so  very  hard  to  keep  his  voice  under  control.  ❝  he’s  with  joseph  . . .  he’s  with  his  own.  ❞  one  hand  frees  from  it’s  hold  on  paul  to  curl  around  the  back  of  his  neck  and  squeeze  softly.  reassuring  and  solid.  ❝  i’ll  take  you  ―  ❞  when  it’s  safe,  he  very  nearly  says,  but  he  stops.  the  last  thing  paul  needs  is  to  be  reminded  of  the  dangers  to  compound  his  already  overwhelming  grief.

         what he wants should be easy . he doesn’t ask for much . why is chris making this so hard ?? there is love and devotion and care underneath that strong layer of guilt and rage . he’s gripping too tightly to what his brothers have put into his head and its so damn frustrating when paul is here with a bleeding heart , basically pouring it onto the floor in front of this man that can’t get past the mechanical conditioning . deep down he knows its psychological but paul wonders if he tries at all . 

paul can’t help what he wants . it would be so much easier to lose himself in someone else , give into someone that not fight it so hard , but no . this man is what he wants because deep down there’s so much more than just being some weapon . paul can see it and he steps even closer curling fingers around the back of chris’ neck , swirling them lightly in the short hair . 

❝ stop fighting it , for one .❞ its a first step , difficult , but its a start . he presses a few kisses upon sullen features . cheek , forehead , nose before he settles on lips that seem a little too unsure . ❝  just let me in . ❞ he says barely above a whisper against those soft lips . ❝  i can help you , chris . you just have to LET me . ❞ chris is a passionate man , paul can see it with how wholly immersed he is in his missions . they just have to get him past the point of where he thinks he’s nothing but a TOOL and tap into that heart that frantically beats under paul’s other hand . 

stop  fighting  it,  paul  says,  as  if  it  should  be  the  simplest  thing  in  the  world.  no,  it  should  be.  chris  knows  it  should  be.  just  . . .  stop.  but  he’s  been  FIGHTING  EVERYTHING  for  so  long  now,  he’s  not  sure  if  he  can.  an  object  set  in  motion  many,  many  years  ago,  strayed  so  far  from  his  intended  path.  but  that  straying,  for  all  the  grief  it’s  brought,  has  brought  him  here.  to  this  man  with  his  gentle  hands  and  caring  heart  that  are  so  completely  opposite  from  the  world  chris  has  come  to  know.

❝  i  know,  ❞  chris  says  finally.  there’s  a  sort  of  resignation  in  the  words,  defeat  and  something  teetering  dangerously  on  the  edge  of  fear.  gaze  lifts,  finding  soothing  pools  of  blue,  and  the  soldier  forces  himself  to  make  his  most  damning  confession.  ❝  and  that  scares  the  hell  out  of  me.  ❞  it’s  a  terrifying  thing,  to  need  something  made  of  flesh  and  bone.  made  more  terrifying  by  the  fact  that,  if  he  is  being  honest  with  himself,  chris  knows  it’s  much  more  than  need.

        ❝ wow what a coincidence . one of mine is being whisked away by a surly scot . you fit the bill so i guess you’ll do . ❞ paul chuckles at the wink and ushers himself inside the car knowing that chris needs to be right behind him . certain habits and quirks will always be a part of routine and he’d not have it any other way . once settled into the seat , he massages whatever lingering effects of the fall from his leg . damn breaks always take longer for him . 

eyes drifts outward towards the landscape as they begin driving off . the rest of the team is tired and quiet , but he can feel those eyes on him . those brown eyes that belong to the man he loves always tend to hover over him in protection after such a mission , especially one where he’s been injured  ( doesn’t seem to matter he can heal within minutes ) . 

an elbow rests on the door before his gaze lifts . ❝  that sounds nice . i might join you if i don’t pass out the minute we get back , but we have to get there first and hopefully its uneventful . ❞ a hot shower with his love and then a nice cold drink . maybe they could order in and eat in bed while watching some ridiculous late night show . 

❝  better  be  uneventful  . . .  i’m  not  in  the  mood  for  any  more  eventfulness.  ❞  what  might  otherwise  come  off  as  vague  optimism,  from  the  scot  comes  as  more  of  a  general  warning  to  the  forces  at  the  helm  of  the  universe.  he’s  tired,  and  any  souls  that  see  fit  to  interfere  at  this  point  will  be  met  with  a  particularly  foul  version  of  the  immortal  soldier.

in  reality,  he  knows  they  only  really  have  to  make  it  beyond  city  limits.  they’ll  clear  a  couple  cities  and  then  settle  for  the  night,  and  that  cannot  come  soon  enough  as  far  as  he’s  concerned.  in  the  meantime,  chris  tries  to  settle  nerves  and  body.  he  leans  back  against  the  seat,  letting  brown  eyes  close.  to  the  whole  car,  he  says,  ❝  wake  me  up  if  anything  starts  looking  too  EVENTFUL.  but  if  that  happens,  i’m  killing  something,  so  it’d  better  be  important.  ❞