Raccoon City University: Albert Wesker x Rebecca Chambers College!AU

Chapter Thirteen

"I just... I really don't know where to go from here," Rebecca said, facing her group of friends. "It's more than just wanting to know what he's up to now. I'm really scared that whatever he's doing is hurting him." Rebecca felt her face flush as tears began to well up in her eyes. She was more than concerned for her odd friend, but still felt embarrassed crying about it in front of her friends.

"Aww, Rebecca," Sheva said, walking over to Rebecca's side and wrapping an arm around her. "If you're this worried for him, the best thing you could do is confront him about it in a kind way."

"Like an intervention?" Chris chimed in.

"Yeah exactly," Sheva replied. "We'll be by your side the entire time, Rebecca, so you won't have to do it alone."

"Thanks so much guys," Rebecca said with a soft smile and a small sniffle. "I'll text him to meet me for breakfast in the dining hall tomorrow morning."

"Sounds great," Jill nodded.

--

Rebecca anxiously stood outside of the dining hall around nine o'clock the following morning. She didn't mention any of the other people that would be joining them, nor did she mention what this meeting was for. Guilt jumped around her ribcage and created butterflies in her stomach. Sure, she didn't technically lie, but she did withhold some of the truth.

"Good morning, Rebecca," Albert waved as he walked towards her.

What he did next shocked Rebecca. She felt Albert's long arms wrap around the top of her arms, bringing her into a warm, friendly hug. The soft, pleated fabric of his turtleneck made Rebecca's revealed arms tickle and caused a shiver to run down her a spine. A shiver that she did not mind. It was always she who would give him hugs from time to time in the past – seemingly to Albert's dismay. However, on this November morning, it was Albert finally giving the warm embrace.

"G-Good morning, Albert," Rebecca replied, her face was completely red and warm.

"Well," Albert said, pulling away and looking down at her with a soft smile. "Shall we get some breakfast?"

The two of them walked into the almost empty dining hall. People were scattered far apart from each other, causing the cluster of three people side by side each other to stand out. Rebecca awkwardly gestured for the two of them to sit with the group of three people. Albert, albeit quite confused and a bit annoyed, complied.

"Hey, Wesker!" Chris said, doing his best to hide his curiosity with a veil of total friendliness.

"Chris." Albert replied in a cold, unimpressed tone. He sat directly in front of Chris, the middle of the three friends who were there first. Rebecca sat down next to Jill on the right side of Chris. Sheva sat on the left. "Good morning Jill and Sheva." Albert said, hoping to correct his innately unfriendly attitude he had towards Chris.

"Hey Albert," Jill said kindly.

"Good morning," Sheva said politely.

Albert gave a small, awkward smile as he placed his hands on the table. He quietly drummed his fingers as he uncomfortably glanced around beneath his sunglasses. Jill nervously shook her leg under the table and Sheva picked at her nail polish, neither of them knowing how to start such a conversation. Rebecca, too, fiddled with the bottom button on her cropped blouse. Chris, however, did not care how awkward or serious the conversation was going to be. He had questions and wanted answers now.

"What the hell are you doing in the bathroom most nights, bro?" Chris broke the silence. The three girls gasped and Albert looked beyond pissed off (and slightly embarrassed). "If you have IBS you can just tell me! I won't judge you! My sister Claire is lactose intolerant so I totally get it if that's what you're going through. But wait, if you're blowing up the toilet, why would you be laughing so damn loud-"

"That's enough, Chris!" Albert snapped at him. Sure, he had been passive aggressive towards Chris most times in the past, but never did Albert actually raise his voice at him. "What is the meaning of all this? I mean this in no disrespect but why am I here to meet with the four of you? I have a feeling that this goes deeper than just wanting to 'hang out'."

"Well," Jill began. "Rebecca had brought up some concerns she had for you. And, we all felt that, with the specific concerns she brought up, that it would be best to talk them out."

"Exactly," Sheva began to add on. "We just wanted to ask you some things and find some ways all four of us could help you-"

"Rebecca what is the meaning of this?" Albert interrupted once more. He turned his head to the shy and guilt-riddled virology student. Rebecca had a spooked look on her face as she glanced back at Albert. "What exactly did you tell your friends about me? This feels like an intervention for some druggy."

"Exactly!" Chris said, promptly receiving a loving but annoyed slap on the back of the head from Jill.

"Well uhm... I-" Rebecca anxiously began before Albert interrupted her.

"Please spare me the sympathy and the beating around the bush. Tell me exactly what prompted this 'intervention' to be held in the first place." His voice was stern and impatient – a tone Rebecca hoped to never hear again.

"At the Halloween party," Rebecca began to explain. "I saw something black and slimy on your wrist." Albert's face turned even paler than that its normal tone. Rebecca didn't notice (doing her best to avoid eye contact) but it definitely caught the attention of Chris. "It kind of scared me because one second it was there and then the next it was gone and with you being in virology and always having weird vials I began to worry that you might be doing drugs..."

The volume of Rebecca's anxious explanation began to deafen to Albert. He could feel eyes on him. He slowly turned his head to see his nosy jock roommate Chris Redfield's eyes transfixed on him. A mean glare was frozen on his face as Chris' dark blue eyes pierced through Albert's sunglasses. Albert was almost sure that Chris could see his true eye colour and Chris was almost sure that Albert didn't actually have photophobia. It was obvious to Albert that, at this point, no matter how believable his excuse would be, Chris wasn't going to believe him.

"... so I just felt that if you were actually doing something harmful to yourself I wanted to show you that you aren't alone!" Rebecca's voice began to reach Albert's ears once again. "I'm here for you and so is Jill and Sheva and Chris! So if there is something that you're doing that's bad, we're here to help you stop doing that and..." Albert raised his hand and waved it slightly, silently and politely signaling to Rebecca that he understood what she was saying.

"I appreciate your kind words, Rebecca," Albert said, giving her a gentle nod and a soft smile. He turned his head back to the other three to address them. "And I can assure you all that I'm perfectly all right. I'm not depressed at all or over-indulgent of certain vices. I think what Rebecca saw must have been a trick of the light – a particularly disturbing one at that. I appreciate all of your concerns but I can assure you that I am happy and not abusing any sort of substance."

"Bullshit!" Chris cried out.

Within the blink of an eye, Chris had grabbed Albert's right arm tightly, holding it in place. The three girls began to panic and tried to pull Chris off of him but to no avail – Chris was simply too strong. With his other arm, Chris rolled up Albert's sleeve to reveal his entire forearm and then some. He revealed all of the redness at Albert's wrist, the dark bruising of Albert's most veiny part, and the dark puncture marks riddled throughout. In the scuffle, Albert's sunglasses had become crooked and nearly fell off his face. One of his eyes was completely revealed. The three girls were too focused on Albert's arm and trying to pry Chris off of him that they didn't notice. Chris most certainly did. Albert and Chris locked eyes – Chris's eyes a vast, dark ocean and Albert's a hellish, fiery inferno.

Chris let go of Albert's arm, throwing it down carelessly. Albert swiftly fixed his sunglasses before rolling his sleeve back down. He glared at Chris with a fury unmatched by any warlord or demon. He glared at Rebecca with only betrayal on his face. Rebecca merely, shyly, turned her head downwards to avoid his gaze.

With an enraged growl, Albert swiftly turned around and ran out of the dining hall.