Stupid (Piers Nivans x Reader) Chapter 2

            Stupid
            Piers Nivans x Reader
            Chapter 2




                (A/N: I would like to thank my friend for making this beautiful artwork of Piers specifically for this chapter. I appreciate it so much! She's just AWESOME! ^^)
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        I fluttered my eyes open and squinted at the white light that shone through the window, blinding my vision. I blinked few times as I stared at the blank ceiling above me, trying to study the features of the small, unfamiliar room. I stirred in the bed over which I was lying and I winced at the pain that followed. My body hurt all over: from my head, to my shoulders, my arms, my sides, and especially my back. Why did it hurt so much? I did not know… I couldn’t recall a thing!

        I turned my head to the side and my eyes fell immediately on the person who was sitting on a chair next to the window, leaning his head against the window’s frame and letting his heavy eyelids conceal the wondrous brown color of his orbs. I watched as his chest moved slowly up and down in sync with his slow breathing, and I couldn’t but gaze in wonder at the peaceful features of his tired young face. A blush found its way to my cheeks as I allowed my eyes to delight in his sleeping visage and a small smile brushed against my lips while I gazed deeper at the handsome ace. I was glad I got the chance to scrutinize him as protractedly, for I – in everyday scenarios – would usually tend to steal a few glances of him, avoiding being caught gazing at him. It would put me in some truly embarrassing situations. But now, with his eyes closed, I could admire his form without being caught or criticized.

        I raised my head from the pillow and hauled myself up with my sore arms, attempting to sit straight over the mattress. A tiny yelp escaped my throat as the pain resurfaced with the smallest movements I executed, but it appears that it was sufficient to wake Piers from his slumber. “_______, you’re awake!” He said, groggily.

    
        I looked back at him, detecting the hint of surprise in his now opened eyes. He stood up from his chair and neared the side of the bed. He took hold of my arm with one hand while his other one placed itself over my back and he helped me into a sitting position. I sighed heavily as I rested my back steadily against the headboard. Piers stepped back and examined me: “How are you feeling?” He asked quietly.

   
        “I… I guess I’m fine.” I replied, but the pained grimace on my face said differently. A sudden shiver rushed through my body as the cold ambiance of the room greeted my skin. I pulled the thin sheets back over my chest and hugged myself with my arms, attempting to save the scarce warmth that had left from dispersing into the freezing air. The sound of rustling fabric caught my ears and I looked, seeing Piers had taken off his thick jacket and I was really surprised when he had moved closer to hang the warm garment around my shoulders. I was flattered at feeling his warmth, which was trapped inside the jacket, fusing with my own. “It’s snowing outside.” He informed me. Apparently, he did not know what else to say.

        Abashed, I lowered my gaze and held tightly onto the jacket: “Thank you.” I muttered. Piers turned away and took his previous place on the chair. I tucked a thin lock of hair behind my ear then I addressed him: “What happened?”

        “You don’t remember?” He asked monotonously, leaning with his elbows on his thighs. I shook my head in the negative. He let out a sigh and lowered his head, looking at the ground beneath him while intertwining his fingers together. “No doubt…” he uttered, “you’ve been out cold for two days now.”

        “Two days?!”

        Piers nodded. He turned his sight back to me and began: “Our team was reconnoitering the area after receiving some information about the use of bio-weapons by the rebels. It was... you, myself and Capt. Redfield. We went into that old building and…”

        “Yes, I remember that.” I pressed my fingers against the temple of my head, trying to ignore the screaming pain for the sake of retrieving my memories. “I remember… we encountered… two J’avos…”

        “Right.” Piers leaned back into the chair, relieved to see that I haven’t lost my memories or anything of that equivalence. “Well… one of them had attacked you, and… you… well… you fell unconscious. The blow on your back was too much for you to bear… it’s going to hurt for a while, but don’t worry… no fractures or anything like that.”

        No wonder why it ached so badly! I ran a hand over the sore muscles of my body and up to the back of my skull, letting my fingers graze against the pained areas on my skin. I bit my lip, trying to suppress any protests coming from my mouth, and I turned back to Piers: “What happened to the mission? Did it work out?”

        “Yeah, we took them down. Our team was able to clear the area without much havoc.” He responded.

        “I see.” I cast a look downwards. “Are the others okay?”

        “Yeah, they’re fine.”

        “That’s good.” I nodded.

        “Good?” He huffed. “You call this ‘good’?”

        I turned my attention back to him only to find a scowl on his face: “Y-yeah… you said, everyone’s safe, right?” I asked, unsure.

        “Aside from you, yes… everyone’s fine.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “But do you have any idea how much of a trouble it was to get you to safety? Do you even know how difficult it was to take the damned J’avos down while having to carry your lifeless body out of there, and all the way to this place?! If it hadn’t been for Chris, you’d be dead by now! Good thing he was there to save you! I seriously don’t know how he manages to put up with rookies like you!” He snarled at me. All I did was stare at him, wide-eyed. His words were able to shoot me straight in the heart. The last thing I’d wanted was to be dependable, to be viewed as the helpless rookie who barely knew how to carry a gun! Unfortunately, I’d been just that, and nothing more than that. I knew he was right… I knew that my reckless actions had hindered the mission; but hearing that coming from his mouth… I couldn’t possibly bear it.

        I lowered my head, letting my blurred vision settle on my fists which had balled themselves over my lap: “I… I’m sorry…” I managed to utter with a strangled tone.

        “‘Sorry’ won’t do it.” He sighed heavily. “Really… the thing you did back there… that was stupid! Absolutely stupid! What were you thinking?!”

        ~Stupid? He really deems it stupid? But… but why? Why can’t he understand?~

    
        “I… I didn’t know what to do…” I tried to explain. “When I saw you trapped in that J’avo’s grip, I couldn’t think of anything. I… I was out of options, and I… I couldn’t simply leave you there and do nothing!”

    
        “I was just fine. I was able handle it.” He said.

        “But you…”

        “I WAS JUST FINE! I didn’t need to be saved!” He snapped. “I didn’t need your help!”

    
        My eyes widened with shock at Piers’ statement. I had simply intended to free him from his foe’s grasp, but all I received was a harsh rebuke from him. I hadn’t expected him to thank me, but to at least show a slight bit of appreciation, that was all! Was that too much to ask of him?! He even called me stupid!

        I averted my gaze from looking at him and cast it downwards. It would have hurt as well, hearing the same words of reproof coming from someone else’s mouth, true… but receiving them from Piers, the very man I so admired, felt hundred times as painful!

        I remained silent; not that I knew what words to speak in a situation like this. He took notice of my silence and apparently realized the acrimony on his part. I heard him cussing under his breath; I knew he hadn’t meant to be that aggressive with his tongue, but he could be really hot-headed sometimes… I couldn’t blame him. He clucked his tongue, disgruntled by his own inconsiderate reaction, and he pinched the bridge of his nose in attempt to calm himself down. He heaved a sigh and murmured: “Damn it…” He ran a hand through his short hair and rubbed the nape of his neck: “Look…” he hesitated, avoiding the direct eye-contact, “I didn’t mean to put it that way… what I meant to say is…” As he was still talking, steady knocks on the door were heard. Chris Redfield, the captain of our team, stood at the entrance of the room, with a faint smile gracing his lips. The door was open, but he had chosen to knock on it before entering – for the sake of courtesy. “Thank goodness, you’re awake.” He stepped into the room.

        “Captain!” I shifted in my place, trying to adjust my position in the presence of my respected commander. “Easy, _______... relax.” He requested. Piers got up from the chair and motioned for Chris to take a seat. Chris nodded and brought the chair closer to the bed, and sat down: “How are you feeling now?” He asked.

        “Much better, sir.” I replied respectfully.

        “That’s good to hear.” He smiled.

        Chris Redfield… the strongest operative in the B.S.A.A… I was surely lucky to be a member of his team, working under his command. It is a great honor, fighting by his side. Despite his robust and muscular appearance, he is the most caring when it comes to his comrades’ well-being. He always puts their lives above of his own – a priority. None of us ever doubted his unalterable willingness to selflessly forego his own life for the safety of his men. In our eyes, he is the Hero… a living legend.

        “I bet it’s painful.” He spoke.

        “Um, yes. A little bit.” I expressed meekly.

        Chris turned his head to look at Piers: “I just came back from seeing Finn.” He said.

        “Yeah… I didn’t get to check on him today. How’s he doing?” asked Piers.

        “Finn?” I questioned. “Finn Macauley? Is he okay?” The hint of worry in my voice caught Piers’ attention, and he stared at me, furrowing his brow once again for a reason I was completely oblivious of. Is it wrong to ask about my companion? I wondered. The connection between our eyes lasted only a couple of seconds, but Piers chose to tear his sight away with obvious annoyance. Seriously, what was wrong with him?!

        “He’s fine.” Chris’ deep voice answered. “Nothing to worry about… his head hurts a little due to a slight concussion, but nothing too serious.”

        I let out a relieved exhale. I was honestly worried about Finn. He has become more like a brother to me; we both had graduated from the same military school around the same time, and we had grown to become really good friends. We both are somewhat shy and inexperienced, and I guess we both felt relieved having one another’s back to lean on, since we were able to relate to the harsh reality of being the rookies of the team. Anyways, I was glad to hear that he was doing okay.

        “Everyone has been worried about you, though.” Chris expressed. I blushed a little at his words, unable to say anything in response but allowed the smile on my face to remain intact nonetheless. “You’re the team’s little sister, after all.” He added. I hung my head lower in attempt to hide the innocent red tint on my visage. “Thank you.” I hummed. It was nice to hear that coming from my captain – his words are always so encouraging, so inspiring.

        Clearing his throat, Piers took a step backwards, addressing his captain: “I’ll go check on Finn… I’ll see if he needed anything.” He watched as Chris nodded in the affirmative then turned on his heal, heading toward the door. “Hey, Piers… go easy on him. Alright?” Chris smirked. Piers glanced at him from over his shoulder and snorted at captain’s demand, gesturing a wave with his hand: “Yeah, yeah… sure…” He murmured as he walked through the door: “Those rookies… they love to get themselves killed.” He remarked then disappeared out of the room.

        Chris shook his head, mocking Piers’ attitude: “He keeps forgetting that he too used to be a rookie once.” I tried, in a futile attempt, to hide the amused smirk on my lips after hearing Chris’ comment. “Don’t mind him.” he said, to which I nodded.

        “So…” He continued speaking, “the medical staff informed me that your injuries are only external, so you don’t have to worry. You’ll be fine. But you’ll have to rest for now.”

        “Yes.”

        “However… this is not exactly why I came to see you. Of course, my main intention was to check on you and see how you’re doing, but I also wanted to talk to you about what had happened during the mission.”

        I gulped silently, becoming a little anxious about the conversation or – to be more exact – the lecture that I was about to receive from my captain. But then I felt his big, comforting hand being placed on my shoulder and I looked into Chris’ tired eyes, listening attentively to the quiet words that formed in his mouth: “_______, the thing you did that day…” the muscles of his face twitched slightly as a relaxed smile stretched over his lips: “That was probably one of the most heroic things I’ve seen so far.”

        “Captain?” My eyes broadened, for I was surprised by captain’s choice of words, which seemed a bit of an exaggeration to me. “Truthfully,” he resumed, “although we were taken aback by the J’avos mutation, you were quick to react. I would describe your actions as… well… the word ‘commendable’ would be an understatement. The act of saving your comrade and endangering your own life for that cause… I wouldn’t call that anything less than heroic.”

        I blinked a few times, feeling flattered by captain’s praise. “T-thank you, sir.” I managed to reply, while a thin layer of tears began forming in my eyes.

        “I’m only telling the truth. You’ve rightfully earned my respect and that of my men. I admire your courage, _______. You’d proven to be brave even at times like this, despite the fact that you legitimately are the youngest of the team.”

        “Brave, sir?”

        “Yes, brave.”

        “Sir, don’t you think it was… rather..?”

        “What?”

        “Rather… stupid?” I said quietly.

        “Stupid?” He cocked an eyebrow. “What made you think that?”

        I shrugged, biting my lip with embarrassment. Chris gazed at me for a moment before nodding his head knowingly: “Piers said that, didn’t he?” I was sort of surprised; I was certain that Chris hadn’t been eavesdropping on the previous conversation that had taken place between me and Piers, because he simply wouldn’t do such a thing. But I guess… he already knew the young sniper very well.

        I looked wordlessly at him, not willing to admit the truth but at the same time unable to deny it, and I pressed my lips together into a thin line. “Heh, that kid…” Chris scratched his scalp, understanding the reality of the matter. “Hey, don’t let whatever he had said get to you, alright? Piers just… says things. He throws stuff in the air, but he doesn’t necessarily mean them.”

        I looked to the side, averting my eyes from looking in captain’s direction but my ears remained glued to him nonetheless, as he continues on saying: “When it comes to his duty, he’s a very intellectual soldier and a meticulous man, and he meets his responsibilities with all accuracy. But putting his prodigious skills aside, he’d be nothing but a real pain, I’m telling you.” I could discern the humorous wit in captain’s tone and I couldn’t hold back the chuckle that undulated from between my lips.

        “However,” Chris resumed, “I can’t deny that… beneath that cool attitude of his, Piers cares for this team as much as I do. I can already see a future captain in him. He has genuine concern for his comrades, though he doesn’t often show it.”

        “I know.” I said with a warm smile. Perhaps that was one of the many reasons why I liked Piers, aside from his good looks and peerless skills: his selflessness and his loyalty to his brothers-in-arms. These are admirable qualities that are seldom found nowadays.

        Chris spoke again: “I can entrust my team to him, and I know without a doubt that he will not fail me. He would take care of his comrades better than I do. Piers cares for each and every one in this team. And you’re no different. I wouldn’t be lying if I said that he cares about you more than all the others.”

        In a matter of an instant, a warm sensation spread all over my face, painting my visage with an ardent shade of red. Automatically and out of bashfulness, I ran a hand through my hair and fixed a loose strand behind my ear: “Um… erm… I… I don’t know about that…”

        “Then, you have had to see his face after that incident.”

        “What?”

        “When you got injured, he… he went ballistic against that J’avo. But after we defeated both of them, he ran to your side and never left you until he made sure that you were going to be fine.”

        “Piers..?”

        “Yes. He looked desperate. I had never thought I’d live to see a bewildered Piers, but I did. I never doubted that he would be the first to lend his fellow soldiers a hand when they needed it. But seeing him struggling to get you out to safety? He was ready to do anything just so he could save you. I am starting to believe that you are really precious to him.” He winked after adding the last part.

        “C-captain!” I almost squealed in response. I couldn’t control the increasing heat that had mounted onto my face. Captain Chris was able to spot the discomfort in my demeanor, so he started laughing, which caused me to pout bashfully: “Captain…”

        “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it.” He sniggered. It felt awkward; the very captain of B.S.A.A’s Alpha team was hinting to the possible infatuation between me and Piers. I shrank timidly into the mattress, falling silent again. However, I could not resist the uncontrollable smile that rose to my lips. Imagining Piers as he had taken my motionless body between his arms and protected me from the raging B.O.Ws, caused a warm feeling to wash over me, encircling my heart with an overwhelming contentment. Regardless of Piers’ seemingly apathetic attitude, I knew that he cared. Counting on Chris’ words, I no longer had any doubts about it.

        “Alright, I should get going now.”  Chris rose from his chair and stood up, looking at me while wearing that same comforting smile on his face: “If you needed anything, just ask. Okay?”

        “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” I answered. He nodded once before turning around and reaching for the door, but he halted in his place as he heard me calling him. “Captain?”

        “Yes?”

        “I…” I looked away for a moment before turning my gaze back to him, with appreciation shining through my eyes: “Captain, I am honored to be a member of your team!” I exclaimed brightly. At hearing my zealous statement, his facial features softened, displaying a reassuring smile on his lips: “Thank you… it’s a privilege to me as well, having dedicated soldiers like yourself on my team.”

        I beamed gratefully: “And… thank you… for everything.”

        “I haven’t done anything.”

        “You… you saved my life and brought me here…”

        “What are you talking about? It wasn’t me who did that. All I did was kill the J’avo.”

        “Huh?”

        “Piers…” He explained, “Piers carried you all the way here.”

    
        “Piers?” a distant look appeared in my eyes.

        Chris smirked a little and pointed at the jacket that hung around my shoulders: “I’m quite sure that you already know that this jacket belongs to Piers too.” He crossed his muscly arms in front of his chest. “So stop doubting, _______.”

        I looked down at the mentioned jacket, examining it with my eyes and feeling its rough yet warm fabric between my fingers. I could still breathe Piers’ sweet scent which had been kept in its folds. That alone made me smile. “I told you he’s a nice guy,” was Chris’ words to me.

        “Yeah…” I breathed, “I know.”

        “You two should really get together someday.”

        I whipped my head and stared at Captain Chris with shock written all over my features, earning another muffled chortle from him. He was tormenting me, for real!

        “_______.” He called, standing at the door.

        “Captain?”

    
        “Get well soon. We need you out there, soldier.”

        I smiled and raised my arm, saluting him while still seated over the bed: “Yes, sir!”

   

            To Be Continued…