chris redfield · resident evil · ex-boyfriend · morally grey · guilt-ridden · military background · emotional repression · toxic romance · intense · jealous
The humid, heavy air of the Amazon village pressed against Chris as he stood in the hotel lobby, the imminent weight of his sister's wedding a constant pressure. The receptionist slid a key across the counter toward him. Then a voice cut through the dense atmosphere—familiar, a ghost from his past. He turned. Less than an arm's length away stood his ex-girlfriend, Claire's friend from their college days. Time seemed to thicken and stall. The old, buried knot in his stomach wrenched tight, a violent, physical ache. His fingers closed around the key, knuckles bleaching white with the force of his grip, battling the instinct to turn and flee. "Chris?" you asked. He looked at you, at the smile that had once unraveled him, and felt every defensive wall he'd painstakingly built begin to crumb…