AN - Sorry for the delay getting this out there, my attention was geared toward getting my first book published. I know I'm not super consistent with updating this, but the story will get finished. Enjoy!
Brad woke up a couple minutes before his alarm was set to sound. He closed out the pending alarm and rolled out of the expansive bed. After an obligatory glance out of the sliding glass door at the dark French countryside, he threw on a pair of running shorts and a t-shirt for his morning workout and caught himself in the mirror, smiling as left his room.
As he'd expected, Fleur was just stepping out of her room, dressed in workout attire as well. His smile deepened at the same time as hers formed. Before he could greet her, however, she bolted down the stairs and he chased after her. Were it not for the fact that stairs were carpeted, he would have worried about waking someone up. But until they made it outside, the only sound was ruffling fabric and panting.
This had been their morning routine, starting the first morning after he'd shown up a few weeks ago. He'd fallen asleep in the hot tub, still trying to wrap his brain around the changes in his life. He didn't remember going from the tub to the bed, but at five in the morning, he woke up. A lifetime of getting up early to work out wasn't about to let him sleep in.
He remembered laying there for a moment, feeling defeated, lost without his team. Still, the only thing he wanted more than to close his eyes again and forget his problems for a bit longer was to prove to himself that those problems couldn't keep him down. So he forced himself up and into workout clothes that the Delacour's or Odilon had thoughtfully provided, and headed out.
When he first laid eyes on Fleur outside his room, he'd been surprised. Before he could ask what she was doing up so early, she ran. Half out of reflex, and half out of curiosity, he chased after her all the way to the end of the hill, to the road. Then she let him catch her and they ran together. They did push-ups and sit-ups and all manner of exercises. He'd never even considered working out with her, the standing assumption being that his workouts were too intense for a civilian.
As it turned out, especially when she was sprinting away from him, he struggled to keep up. More than that, he found that he pushed harder with her there. She was every bit as stubborn as he was. She wasn't about to quit first and he refused to roll over and let her beat him. After their first exercise he'd felt better, like a little of his life had been injected back into his bloodstream.
Ahead of him, Fleur slowed to a jog, the end of the driveway in sight. Brad didn't relent until he was beside her, where he matched her pace. She was grinning at him, breathing heavily as they ran.
"Slowpoke," she panted through her grin. They turned toward the village, which was far enough away to make the run a challenge, and close enough that they weren't spent by the time they made it back to the chateau.
The village was small, rich in history, and Brad thought he discovered something new about the place every time he ran though. Most of the residents were still asleep during their morning exercise, but not all of them.
In particular, there was a small bakery owner, portly and sporting a spectacular moustache, who appeared to be as disciplined a worker as Brad had ever seen. Every time they ran past, the man was inside his store, hard at work on breads and pastries. The smell was distracting every time they passed and often, well into the morning and after their workout, they'd take a leisurely walk to the village to split a kouign-amann.
Each time they ran through Saint-Bonnet-du-Gard they chose a different path. It was a thin, long village, not particularly easy to get lost in. Still, they explored different roads and alleys, paths into the nearby hills. And, by some unspoken, unanimous decision, they'd eventually decide they'd hit the halfway point and retrace their steps back to the chateau.
"Looks like everyone's excited today," Brad commented, winded as they reached the driveway of Chateau Delacour. There were lights on in the mansion, though he could hardly blame any of them.
"The Worldwide Festival is a big deal around here," Fleur replied, bending at the waist in an elegant stretch. Brad, feeling more like a bull than a gazelle, did his best to copy the movement. He'd never been much for yoga, but he had to admit it was a good way to wind down and he felt a little more limber afterward.
"I'm looking forward to it," Brad said, doing his best to match as Fleur stood erect and then fluidly bent down in the other direction. She was so graceful in her movements that Brad couldn't tear his eyes away, even if he'd wanted to.
After a few more minutes of stretching, they went inside. Apolline bid them a good morning as they headed upstairs to clean up, parting at their respective rooms. Brad quickly showered and got dressed. Today it was jeans and a polo shirt, a compact Sig Sauer P320 tucked into his boot. Old habits died hard, and you never knew when you might get sucked into a portal or something. Better to be prepared.
When he left to head downstairs, Fleur stepped out of her room, silvery-blonde hair wrapped up behind her head in a towel to dry, showcasing her elegant neck. She smiled in defeat, losing the race to get done with her shower and out the door before he could. She bodychecked him gently as they started down the hall, staying close against him as they walked. The smell of her sugary, floral shampoo was pleasant and it was moments like this that he wished could last forever.
Downstairs, Apolline was setting the table for breakfast with Henri doing his best to help. He mostly just wound up standing in the way. When she turned with a stack of plates in her hand and almost bumped into him, he gave her a knowing smile and finally took his seat.
"What are we having this morning, love?" Henri rumbled as Brad and Fleur took seats beside each other. Gabby was a little further down the table, using her wand to try and get a stack of butter knives to stand up on end, but mostly just getting them to wobble a bit.
As she sat down next to her husband, the plates around them filled with pancakes, eggs and bacon. Brad smiled down at his plate, on which was piled more eggs and bacon than anything. They knew him pretty well, it seemed.
Time flew by through breakfast. Everyone was excited for the trip to Sète for the Worldwide Festival. They made a habit of going every year if they could manage it, and had spent a lot of time hyping the music and food when they found out that Brad had never been to a festival.
After breakfast, Apolline got both Fleur and Gabby and took them to town to prepare for the festival. Brad wasn't sure what was meant by that, but then he wasn't invited so it didn't really matter. He figured he'd find out later...probably.
Henri went to his office to catch up on some work. Left to his own devices, Brad headed to his room to check the small computer for any updated information on the situation in England. Things had been getting tense over there, to the tune that TFA had been ordered out of the country. He was privy to the fact that they had not followed that particular directive, but that was about it.
As he made it to the room, he glanced at the paper calendar that was hanging by the door. It had been almost a week since his last painful seizure. It wasn't a seizure, not really, but he wasn't sure what else to call it so the name just kind of stuck. Still, one week without his body locking up in pain was a plus in his notebook.
He pulled out the computer and went about the complicated sign-in procedure. JSOC did not like its data to be unsecured. Poking around the reports, he found that there was no new news on Mike. An observation outpost had been established in Hogsmeade, run by a Mr. Burke. And there was no word on where Dumbledore had made it off to.
Brad still found it amusing that a team of Aurors had failed to bring the old wizard in. Dumbledore was as close to a pacifist as Brad had encountered, and he had a tough time imagining Dumbledore fighting off Aurors. Not that he wasn't talented enough to, he could probably wipe the floors with a full squad. It just wasn't really his style.
The really concerning report had been unconfirmed data that there had been a mass breakout from Azkaban. The Ministry hadn't mentioned anything about it in any official reports, but someone had leaked news of it to a TFA agent. What a shitshow.
He was just about to put the laptop away when a notification popped up. He opened it before even reading the title. The French Ministry had finally put together their own version of Task Force Ansible.
1st Escadron de Tactiques Combinées, which he immediately shortened to the "1st ETC" because it was less of a mouthful, was significantly smaller than their US counterpart. It was comprised of some of the best special operators and commandos that the French military had to offer, and was supplemented by Aurors as well.
He was to report to 2 REI the day after tomorrow to begin his assignment. Apparently, they were still working on getting a Floo system in place to the section of the base that had been set aside for the new ETC unit, so he would be driving there until it was ready.
One of the first things the French government did when it learned of the extent to which magic had spread, had been to request that their major military and government installations be protected from apparition. Smart, but that wasn't going to help him avoid the commute.
He looked it up, the route was pretty easy, under half an hour to get there from Chateau Delacour. He was starting to feel a bit more excited at the prospect of helping the French get their program up and running. Getting back to work would feel good, no matter how much he enjoyed spending time with Fleur.
Brad struggled to occupy his time until the evening finally rolled around. Henri was busy with business and with everyone else gone, that left him alone. Not that he particularly minded it.
He spent a good chunk of the time cleaning his P320 and making sure it was in good shape. It was, of course, already well-oiled and maintained, but the process ate up time, which was what he was aiming for.
Then, he did a perimeter check around the property of the chateau. He had absolutely no reason to expect any issue, but it didn't hurt to check and it also ate up some time. He ended the check at Fleur's little waterfall, sitting down on the bench where she'd first really opened up to him.
It really was a beautiful spot, he could see why she'd spent so much time there. He very pleasantly lost track of time, only realizing it was time to head back to the chateau when his watch beeped the alarm. They were due to leave in half an hour.
He stood, feeling stiff from sitting in the same position for so long, and made his way back to the chateau.
In the dining room, Apolline was pushing through Gabby's squirming, trying to fix her hair. She was wearing a short emerald dress, her hair done up in a fancy bun behind her head.
Gabby was dressed in a sparkling pink dress with a unicorn's head printed on the front. Brad smiled as he passed, headed to his room. He wanted to check the computer one more time, just in case there was an update on Mike, before they left.
There wasn't. He checked the magazine in his P320 one last time, slipping it beside the spare magazine in his boot and then smoothed out the polo shirt. Satisfied that he was presentable, he stepped out of his room.
Fleur was standing outside her door, waiting for him. She was dressed in a blue bikini top with a matching sarong that went almost down to her ankles, tied off low on her hip. Her hair hung down her shoulders and back. She cocked her head to the side upon seeing him.
"You're wearing jeans?" she asked, a smile forming on her lips as he forced himself to meet her eyes. She was stunning.
"Uh," he stammered, "yeah." He recovered quickly, but judging by her grin, she'd noticed that he was distracted. She twirled around, showing him the outfit in full and striking a mock pose when she was facing him again.
"You like it?" she asked, standing back up when he chuckled, nodding his head.
"You look incredible," he said. She grabbed his hand and lead him downstairs to the rest of her family. Apolline and Gabby were apparently ready. They stood there for only a moment before Henri arrived.
Brad had to fight to keep his face placid at the sight before him. Henri came downstairs wearing a pair of cargo shorts that rode just a little bit too high up the thigh. He wore a Hawaiian print shirt that was only buttoned halfway up, a ridiculous supply of chest hair poking through the opening. Additionally, he sported a pair of large, state trooper style sunglasses, sandals, and he carried with him the aura of a man supremely comfortable with who he was.
"Everybody ready?" his deep voice rumbled as he grabbed his wife's hand. Everyone murmured in the affirmative, and then started grabbing hands in a chain. Brad was at the opposite end from Gabby, only holding Fleur's hand.
He was about to ask what they were doing when he felt himself suddenly squeezed into a tiny, miniscule space. The moment was over as quickly as it began and he found himself smashed shoulder-to-shoulder in a bathroom with the rest of the Delacours. The walls were flat stone, tan, and the bathroom itself was very small for all of them to fit in.
Henri, closest to the door, managed to squeeze it open and step out, freeing the rest of them to follow suit. The gentleman that had been standing outside, apparently waiting for the bathroom, didn't look in the least bit surprised by the five of them stepping out, and Brad decided he didn't care to dwell on it.
Apparently they were in an amphitheater of some kind. He knew they were going to Séte, but aside from that, had no idea what to expect. The heavy thrum of rock music came from the center, where he could see a band playing. The seats were filled with people, most of them standing and swaying to the music.
Henri and Apolline turned away from the band to face them. Brad, who had been looking at the crowd, found that Henri, and indeed the rest of the Delacours, had in fact been modestly dressed by comparison.
He was surprised to see that almost none of the men were wearing shirts of any kind, and the few he saw with shirts, wore them wide open. It appeared French men were proud to show off their physique, no matter its quality.
The women were much the same way, wearing bikinis mostly, a few pairs of shorts scattered into the mix for good measure. He felt out of place in jeans and a polo, but wasn't sure what else he could have done. He sure as hell wasn't walking around shirtless in a pair of shorts...that really limited concealed carry options.
"You two meet us back here," Apolline said, more to Fleur than him.
"Oui, maman," Fleur replied, giving her mother a peck on the cheek.
"See you later, mom," Brad said with a wave, his eyes bugging open as he realized just what he'd said. Covering his rapidly flushing face with a hand. "I'm so sorry for that," he muttered just loud enough to be heard.
He felt himself pulled into a strong hug by Apolline, which he returned hesitantly, not wanting to offend her further. When she pulled back, she had to wipe a tear from each eye to keep them from running down her cheeks.
"Don't be sorry," she said with a smile, "we don't call you son for no reason." She planted a kiss on his forehead and stepped back. Henri, gave him a wide smile before sliding an arm around his wife's waist.
The adults turned and led Gabrielle further into the amphitheater, already starting to groove with the music, while Fleur tugged on his hand in the opposite direction, leading him outside. It was hot, but a cool breeze coming from the nearby Mediterrainean kept things bearable, the smell of salt water and roasting meat filling the air.
They stood just outside the door for a moment. When Brad looked down at Fleur, she was staring up at him with a big smile that he found hard to resist. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her lips. They stayed like that for a long moment before the people behind them, stuck in the doorway, finally started to mutter discontentedly.
He could hear half a dozen varied beats as they started down the path, all distant and coming from different directions. Fleur tucked in beside him as they walked, her arm through his. She lead him down a tan stone staircase and to the south-east.
Brad had expected that something as international sounding as the Worldwide Festival would probably attract some visitors, but he hadn't been prepared for the thongs of people around him. They were absolutely everywhere.
Wherever he looked, he found more. Some were dancing, some eating. There were quite a few smokers and a handful of them had obviously gotten day-drunk. He felt his anxiety ratchet up a notch as they continued on the path, pressed in on all sides by partygoers.
Fleur seemed to notice his tension and started running her hand other hand up and down his arm in a soothing motion. They were passing a band playing an odd mix of guitar, horn, and harmonica music that left it too loud for conversation.
When they were sufficiently past, she stopped running her hand across his arm and looked over at him. She still had to talk loud, but no one was paying attention to them.
"You okay?" she asked, a look of concern on her face. His attempt at a reassuring smile fell flat.
"It's a lot of people," Brad finally replied. They kept walking toward the pier, where loud electronic music was emanating from.
"All here to have fun," she said, leaning into him again as they continued. He couldn't argue that point. He didn't see one upset face around them, and the outfits worked both ways. Very few people were dressed in a way that would allow them to conceal a weapon, meaning he had an edge on them, aside from his training.
While the flow of the crowd went both ways, toward the pier and back toward the amphitheater, he caught no one looking at them or paying them any attention, aside from the odd person that wanted to walk faster and so pushed their way past.
She was right. They were here to have fun. He forced a smile, willing it to be real, and pulled Fleur closer as they walked, working in his own way to relax and enjoy himself.
They were almost to the pier when Brad caught sight of someone grabbing Fleur by the wrist from behind. He whirled around, ready to fend off whoever the threat was, but was beaten to it by Fleur, who pulled the other person into a tight hug.
"Clara!" Fleur cried out in excitement. A boy about their age stood just behind Clara, looking at the two girls as awkwardly as Brad felt. He was pretty scrawny, wearing shorts, and didn't have a shirt on. The shorts were hanging a little low for Brad's liking.
The girls broke apart, grinning widely. "I'm glad we caught you before you got to the club," Clara said, turning to grab the boy's hand and pull him closer. "This is Milo," she introduced the boy, who smiled sheepishly. "Milo, this is my best friend, Fleur, and her boyfriend, Brad."
Brad caught Milo's gaze as he was introduced to Fleur, first looking at her face, then glancing to her chest, When he turned to introduce himself to Brad, he was caught off guard by the acidic glare from the operator. He sized Brad up, initially defensive, but between the fact that Brad was was a head taller and significantly more muscular, the kid seemed to shy back a bit.
Neither of the girls seemed to catch the moment, engrossed in their own conversation seconds after the introduction. MIlo grabbed Clara's hand posessively as they started toward the pier again.
Fleur slid her arm easily into his as they walked and Brad smiled, glad for how easy being with her was. Milo interjected into the girls conversation a couple times as they related all of the happenings since leaving at the end of the school year. Brad hadn't thought about it, but this was the first time Fleur had seen her friend since then.
As they neared the pier, the thump of electronic music got louder. The sun was getting dim on the horizon and there were purple lights pointed in on the crowd of dancers and partygoers. Brad had to admit the beat was catchy, though it was a little loud for his taste.
On the outskirts of the dance floor, they were at a point now where the girls had to yell in each others ears to be heard, and Milo tugged on Clara's arm, edging her toward the dance floor. Clara gave Fleur an apologetic look and followed her boyfriend into the crowd.
Brad stood there with Fleur for a moment, and it was palpable, her desire to get out there and dance. She hadn't moved a muscle, no gentle tug toward the floor, but still he could feel it. She knew that he was uncomfortable in big crowds and was contenting herself with standing here, watching the flow and letting the music wash over her.
She was as kind and patient a person as he had ever met, and the last thing he wanted to do was let her sulk on his account. He didn't allow himself to think about it. Instead, he stepped forward into the crowd, pulling her with him. She hesitated, surprised, but when he looked back at her, she followed him, the look of surprise rapidly replaced with a genuine happiness that he would go to the ends of the world, if only to see it again.
He pulled her into the crowd until they found a spot big enough for the two of them, only just, and then turned to face her. She was still smiling widely as she began swaying her hips to the beat. Brad stood there awkwardly for a moment, completely unsure of what to do with himself. He would have glanced around to see what the other guys were doing, but he found it impossible to pull his eyes off of her.
After a moment, she noticed that he wasn't dancing. Without breaking her rhythm, she turned herself around, facing away from him. She continued to ebb and flow with the music. Reaching behind her, she grabbed his hands and placed them on her hips.
The feeling of her bare skin was electric. His hands moved back and forth with the sway of her hips and she eased back into him. Like a switch being turned, he found himself moving along to the rhythm of the music as well. In that moment, it was just the music, Fleur, and himself. The rest of the world melted away.
Brad laid there in his bed, exhausted from the Festival. He'd never thought of himself as the type to enjoy a dance party, but that changed with a quickness. His body ached from the use of obscure muscles he hadn't known existed.
It was well past midnight when he and Fleur stopped dancing. Both parched, they went and got some water before deciding it was probably time to head back. Brad couldn't recall having more fun in his life.
He glanced over at his watch, laying on the night stand beside his bed. It was almost two in the morning and he was still having a tough time winding down. When he closed his eyes, he thought of the pulsing light, timed to the beat of the music. He could still feel Fleur in his hands.
Brad hadn't realized he'd dozed off until he felt the pressure change in his room, pulling him from his quasi-dream state to full alertness. He glanced down the bed to the door, which he saw was being closed by Fleur.
"Did wake you?" she asked softly, slowly stepping further into the room. Brad sat up, clearing a spot for her on the side of the bed. For a moment he felt self conscious about the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt, but when she stepped into the moonlight, he was distracted from the worry. She wore a loose, short-sleeved shirt and a pair of short shorts that accentuated her long legs.
"No," Brad half-lied, patting the edge of his bed as he scooted over. "Couldn't sleep."
"Me either," she said, voice still soft. She sat next to him, looking like she was battling with something.
"Something on your mind?" Brad asked, scooting a little further away so that he could turn and face her. She did the same and then sat there for a moment, finding the right words.
"I'm very glad you're feeling more at home here," she said, not looking at him when she said it. It was dark, so he couldn't really tell, but he thought her cheeks were pink. He'd felt bad about the slip-up, but it felt a little right, too. Apolline was as close to a motherly figure as he could remember.
"Me too," Brad said with a smile. "You've done a lot to change my life for the better." It was true. He wasn't sure that he'd ever been happier.
"I had a lot of fun with you tonight," she said, shifting on the bed again, edging a little closer. His heartbeat was strong enough that he could feel it in his neck, almost hear it.
"So did I," Brad replied carefully. He felt like there was more to it than what she was saying, but-
Brad's thoughts were lost when Fleur leapt forward, snaking a hand around the back of his neck and pushing her lips against his. It wasn't aggressive, but urgent. He lost his balance and fell back onto his pillow, and she stayed right there with him.
Her kiss was deep, passionate, and it was returned in equal measure by Brad, who slid one hand to her back and the other through her hair and to the back of her head. They held each other close, only breaking from the kiss for occasional breaths.
Brad didn't know how long it lasted, but both were tired and out of breath by the time Fleur slid down to his side, laying with her head on his shoulder as she pressed up against him. He held her close with one arm, resting his hand on her waist, and the last thing he thought before finally drifting into a deep sleep was that he wanted to stay like that forever.