Brad finished patting himself dry just outside the walk-in shower, still trying to wrap his head around recent events. Sous-Lieutenant Fayolle, who headed Second Team in the 1st ETC, had been bragging about his cousin's fishing setup for a good chunk of the summer.
It had been fun to listen to the banter and the place sounded nice. His cousin captained a fishing boat that ported in Marseille, and had evidently been successful enough in the venture to purchase a small island cottage. They'd spent some length of time speculating exactly how successful someone needed to be to purchase a secluded island cottage in the Mediterranean, but no one had a real number.
Then, Brad admitted he'd never been fishing before. You would think he'd shot a baby seal for the crazed reaction he got from that admission. He'd never seen the troopers so dramatic before, and even a few of the Warlocks had considered it near sacrilege.
About a week went by and he'd almost forgotten about the conversation, that was until he was cornered in the locker room on his way out by all of Second Team. The Sous-Lieutenant had called in a favor with his cousin, securing a charter to and from the cottage for a weekend of solo fishing. His cousin would show Brad the ropes on the way out there.
It sounded like fun, but given a choice he would just as soon stay at the Chateau with Fleur and the Delacours. Everything had been arranged, however, and there was no way to refuse the gift without being a complete asshole, so he graciously thanked the operator and agreed to go.
When he'd gotten home to tell Fleur, things had taken another unexpected turn. Fleur was sitting at the dining room table and flipping through a magazine while her mother dusted. She was a little old fashioned about cleaning some things and liked to dust pictures and paintings by hand.
"Hey, so I guess I'm going on a trip next weekend, the guys got me hooked up with a fishing cabin in the Med," he'd said. Fleur looked up at him, a little surprised, but it had been Apolline that replied first.
"That sounds nice, you two have fun." With that, she stepped out of the room, moving on to dust in the hall.
He sat there with Fleur for several long moments, neither of them sure if Apolline had really said that. When Fleur carefully verified with her mother later, she said she didn't recall the conversation, but said that she supposed it was fine.
And so his unexpected and not entirely welcome weekend of solo fishing had turned into a weekend away with Fleur, which couldn't have come at a better time, because two days after they'd gotten the plans set up, he'd received orders from a Colonel Boyd stating that his tenure in France was due to end in two weeks. He was returning to his former role, commanding Reaper Team. This was looking like the last adventure he was going to have with her for a long while.
He padded out to his room where his bags were already packed. It was easy to pack when you didn't own a lot. Several sets of clothes and his toughbook computer were all he really needed. Fayolle's cousin kept the cottage stocked with food and other living supplies so they didn't need to worry about that.
Taking his duffle, he stepped out into the hall. They would be leaving shortly, so he figured he'd get the bag downstairs. He knew, logically, that he could trust apparation to get them to the dock on time, they still had forty-five minutes until the boat was due to leave. Still, they were an hour and a half's drive away from Marseille and he couldn't help the tinge of anxiety it gave him.
"-only natural now that you're a young woman, I'm just saying I hope you'll be safe." he heard Apolline say from Fleur's room. He tried not to hover but couldn't help himself.
"Maman, it's not like that," Fleur replied exasperatedly.
"Yes, yes, of course. You forget I was young too, once. Just be-" was all Brad heard, deciding that snooping on that conversation had been a mistake. His face several shades redder than it should be, he started down the stairs.
The island was the very picture of perfection. If it was smaller than a square mile, it wasn't by much, and it was surrounded on all sides by brilliantly blue seawater. From the very well-constructed dock, a small dirt path led through vibrant green, red, and yellow foliage to a modern looking two-story home with a massive balcony looking out on the dock.
When he'd envisioned the island, the picture that came to mind was a mound of sand with a single room log cabin in the middle. He hadn't been expecting anything so nice. This place had to be worth a small fortune. Rather than stay on the dock to see the captain off, he and Fleur had rushed up the dirt path like giddy school kids.
Brad had never seen a house with so much glass. Anywhere else it might be awkward, but privacy was present in spades on a secluded island. It wasn't like there were neighbors there to watch you lounge on the expansive and extremely soft looking couch. Here, you could enjoy the scenery without worry.
The kitchen was huge, sporting an island with bar seats and a wide cooking range. The fridge was stocked, as was the pantry, and none of it was bottom shelf. On top of that, there was an array of expensive looking desserts. A pair of modestly sized bedrooms, a bathroom, and a room dedicated to fishing tackle and equipment made up the rest of the ground floor.
They raced each other up the stairs, which sported a bathroom the size of his bedroom at the Chateau, along with a single bedroom that ate up the rest of the second story. The bathroom literally had a hot tub in it, as well as an open shower wide enough that it didn't require curtains to keep the floors from getting wet.
The bedroom sported a massive bed, the foot of which faced that epic and expansive balcony. There was a fireplace, a minibar, and a small theater with a loveseat version of the giant couch downstairs.
"This place is incredible," Fleur sighed, flopping back onto the bed. Brad wanted to agree, but he didn't have words to add to this perfect scene. Instead, he flopped down onto the bed, content to lay there beside her.
Brad couldn't help but smile as he rinsed the seawater from himself. It was rapidly approaching dark outside again and he had to admit, it had been a fun weekend. As it turned out, he really enjoyed fishing. He was by no means an expert, having only caught a handful of fish during the whole weekend, but he enjoyed every minute of it.
Adding on top of that the swimming, sunbathing, exploration of the island, and generally just spending time with Fleur, it had been nothing short of spectacular. Tomorrow morning, Pierre was due to return and bring them back to Marseille, and he was surprised to find that he wasn't exactly looking forward to getting back to the Chateau.
There was something different about spending time alone with Fleur. They were completely free to be themselves, no worrying about offending the sensibilities of anyone else. When they wanted to kiss, they did. They didn't have to be shy about sitting closely or cuddling while watching a movie, and sleeping in the same bed didn't require any degree of sneaking. The openness was nice.
Having dried off, he threw on a pair of sleeping pants and headed to the bedroom where Fleur was already in bed. She was focused on the large pane of glass leading to the balcony and didn't hear him enter. It was easy to get lost in that view, he knew. Easier still to get lost in watching her.
The sun was below the horizon now, but the sky was still streaked with red and gave off a little light. He was really going to miss this. He climbed into bed beside her and she flashed him a smile.
"I was starting to think you were planning to sleep in the shower." she spoke softly, sporting a half grin as she rolled onto her side to face him. Her silver-blonde hair framed her face just right, somehow she always looked perfect.
"I thought about it," Brad chuckled, "it's pretty comfy in there."
He enjoyed the sound of her laugh, but there was something different in it. "I'm going to miss you," she said finally.
"Well, Hogwarts isn't too far," he replied without thought, immediately grimacing. She arched an eyebrow at him but said nothing. "Forget I said that."
"Who exactly am I going to tell?" she said by way of reply, leaning close for a chaste kiss. "My lips are sealed."
"I'm gonna miss you too." It was a weird feeling for him. Since starting his training so long ago, he'd always known exactly where he belonged...fighting wars. He hadn't even considered life off of the battlefield, and since knowing Fleur, he discovered a whole new facet to life. Warfighting wasn't everything, and though he couldn't help but desire getting back with his team, his pull to stay with Fleur was equally strong now.
She didn't reply, just scooted closer to him. He raised a hand to meet her hip, one of his favorite resting places for it when they lay close, and was surprised to find contact with bare skin. She smirked at the genuine look of surprise on his face and it gave him the confidence to let his hand trail further down her hip.
His fingers met nothing but soft, smooth skin and he stopped halfway down her thigh, certain now about the absence of pajamas. It took him a moment to remember that he should be breathing.
Fleur, for her part, didn't stop looking at his face, closely watching every reaction. As he brought his hand back up, his fingers brushed her inner thigh and involuntary gasp to leap from her lips.
That sound was all it took. The dam broke between them and they leapt together, their lips crushing in a passionate contact the likes of which neither had experienced.