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Chris woke up to the smell of smoke.
A deep rumble from beneath him shook, and Chris could hear what sounded like rocks falling and smashing to the ground. Fire crackled somewhere near his head. Chris’ stomach churned as his instincts screamed for him to get up. Something was wrong.
Fire…
Chris tried to push himself up off of the cold, sharp ground but only managed to move a centimeter before pain overwhelmed his mind and he was forced to drop back down. He panted, eyes rolling under his closed lids. Fuck. Was something on top of him? Forcing his eyes to open, he was met with a sight from his nightmares. Fire and smoke filled the destroyed building, rubble and smashed cement collecting in smoldering piles. What happened?
Taking stock of himself, he realized why we wasn't able to get up before. A massive slab of cement, either from the walls or the foundation, and a pile of rubble lay across his entire lower body, and to Chris' horror, a piece of rebar was lodged in his gut. His eyes widened and the pain immediately started to set in, his mind reminded of the wound. He groaned a barely muffled yell, panting quickly. Blood was already pooling around the wound but luckily the metal was keeping it from pouring.
“Chris!” a weak, wavering voice suddenly called from somewhere around him and Chris focused on it. “Please respond.”
Chris recognized Leon’s voice immediately. That's right, they had been on this mission together, he remembered. Except he still couldn't remember what brought them into this situation.
“Leon,” he yelled the best he could, his voice weaker than he expected it to be. Chris swallowed back the metallic tang on his tongue. “I'm here…”
Chris heard a small noise of relief and what sounded like rubble moving.
“Thank fuck. Chris! Are you okay?” The man’ voice was quieter now that he knew he was close enough to hear. There was a shake to it that Chris wasn't used to hearing from his fiance.
Chris wasn't sure how to respond. “Trapped. Stuck under a pile of rubble,” he managed to say. He didn't mention the rebar. Chris didn't want to worry him with things he couldn't fix.
“Fuck. I am too. Hunnigan says they are trying to get a team in to rescue us.”
Chris found himself nodding and then swallowing back a glob of bile. He wasn't feeling very good but he wasn't going to complain to Leon. He could make it until rescue came. Somewhere, something crumbled, shaking the floor, and Chris let out a small grunt.
“Chris?”
“...Yeah?”
Another sigh. “Keep talking to me, sweetheart.”
Chris groaned. Leon was worried. He couldn't worry him. “What happened?”
“A bomb. They set us up. Probably planned to take as many high-level operatives out, luring us here on a false lead. I—” The man stopped. “I thought you were dead.”
Chris’ heart ached. Leon sounded distraught. “I'm alive, Lee,” he reassured, wishing he could hold him in his arms. “I'm not going anywhere.”
Chris just hoped it wasn't a lie. The blood pooling around him wasn't stopping.
“You better not…we still have to get married. Claire’s been working so hard.”
Chris smiled. Married. He wanted to marry Leon so badly. Ever since they started dating after New York, he had been waiting for the day to ask him to marry him. Chris had never loved someone as much as he loved Leon. He just hoped that he would get to live to see their marriage.
“Claire has been working hard,” Chris agreed, beginning to feel a little light-headed.
They began to talk back and forth about the wedding and about what they were going to do after this. Except the more time that passed, the worse Chris felt and the more worried Leon sounded.
“Chris,” Leon started, voice thick. “I thought you weren't injured.
Chris swallowed. “I’m bleeding,” he said, gritting his teeth. “Thought I would be fine for a while…”
“Where.”
“Rebar in my stomach,” Chris admitted a little shakily, feeling guilty. And based on the amount of blood dripping down his head, he also had a concussion. “Head wound.”
“Fuck, Chris.” There was a pause and Chris thought he could hear Leon taking a few breaths. “You're going to be okay. We'll get you out in time.”
“If I don't—”
“No. Do not finish that sentence,” Leon near snarled. “You're going to be fine.”
Chris stopped what he was going to say, giving a small smile instead. He didn't want to die but if he was going to, he was happy he got to be with Leon as long as he did. After Wesker and Raccoon City, he didn't think he was going to live very long. And he sure as hell didn't think he would fall in love ever again. Neither of them were perfect. They fought, argued. We're both way too overprotective of each other. They both had trauma and issues that most people wouldn't want to deal with. But they dealt with it together. They were the only ones who could understand each other on that level.
“Okay,” Chris said, taking a shaky breath.
Chris started to lose track of time, his answers to Leon’s questions becoming shorter and weaker with every one. He knew Leon was worried but he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open, much less giving a coherent answer loud enough for Leon to hear.
“They're outside, baby. They're coming for us. Just hold on a little longer, okay?”
Chris didn't respond. He opened his mouth to try but nothing came out. He groaned, his eyes fluttering. The blood from his head started to get in his eyes a while ago, and now half of his vision was filled with red. Red on the rubble, red on the ground, red on his hands.
Piercing red eyes, peering at him from the darkness. Twisting flames lit up his face and his bright blond hair flashed against his vision. A black-clothed man came forward and gave him a cruel smile, his gloves hands creeping closer to his heart.
Chris closed his eyes, a shameful tendril of fear snaking around his lungs. His chest struggled to pull in air. He was being choked. Each lungful of smoke only thickened the fear. Darkness crept upon the corners of his mind.
“Chris, please hang on.” The voice wavered.
Chris took a stuttered breath, cracking open his left eye. Leon needed him. The red-eyed man took a step back, looking only a little disappointed.
A loud noise had Chris flinching and the movement tore at his wound. He let out a strangled sound, biting his lip.
“Chris!”
New voices registered in his ears, loud and commanding. The only familiar one was louder than the others and sounded desperate. “Find him!”
Chris heard a scuffle and someone coughing, and then footsteps slammed against the ground louder and louder. He heard a small, strangled noise and then felt a hand on his face.
“Chris—” Fingers touched his neck, his pulse throbbing where their pads pressed against his skin. “Thank fuck. He's alive!”
Every sound and feeling felt like it was coming to him from across a long, dark tunnel.
“Baby, please open your eyes.”
The voice was one he would never forget, but it sounded desperate and worried and sad. Why was he sad? Was he hurt?
Chris forced his left eye open, everything a blur for multiple seconds. He could hear other people around him. “L-Le…on…” he managed to say, breathing shallowly.
Leon gave him a teary smile. “Good job, sweetheart. We’re going to get this rubble off of you, okay?”
Chris nodded, and before he could register it, he heard cement scraping and suddenly his legs were free. Feeling returned instantly and brought a cold, tingling feeling before his limbs burned in agony. He cried out, clenching his jaw.
Leon’s hand found his, squeezing tightly. “It's okay I've got you.”
Chris looked into his blue eyes. The color was soft, calming. Perfect. They were strikingly beautiful yet they calmed his racing heart like a salve to a wound.
Everything blurred as Chris was suddenly lifted. The pain in his gut and his legs started to fade, a tingling, detached feeling taking place. He stared blankly through half-lidded eyes up into Leon’s eyes, trying desperately to escape the red.
“Stay awake. Keep your eyes open. Please.”
Chris fought harder than he had ever before to follow his fiance's instructions, but the red-eyed man had his strong, gloves hands on Chris' shoulders. Chris' head rolled and he found himself staring up into his cruel gaze.
‘Come back to me, Redfield.’
“Please don't leave me, Chris.”
He closed his eyes.