Widowmaker had deliberately avoided Tracer now for almost two entire weeks, and it was intentional. She had lied and told her superiors at Talon that she needed more time to infiltrate Tracer's routine and find a better way to secure the kill. In the mean time, they had assigned her with a few trivial tasks. Taking out several targets of low importance, but that were a nuisance the group wanted taken care of.
Every day it was the same thing; wake from restless dreams and in a state of half delusions bring her fingertips to her lips, brushing them across the cold skin yet somehow still feeling the heat there from Lena's kiss.
Then, as soon as the feelings had come they had gone, and she rose out of bed with efficiency and prepared for a day of hunting and pushing images of Tracer out of her mind until all that was left was the sensation of a cold, ruthless predator slinking through her veins.
Today she decided she would get back out there, find the woman and confront her. Surely Talon would be growing tired of her avoiding the Overwatch agent, and it wasn't in her mind to displease them any time soon.
She made her way to a market in the eastern side of the city, her memory serving to remind her that Tracer usually did some light shopping there every Thursday. The woman seemed to have a penchant for browsing the flower and gift shops, a hobby shop that stocked a plethora of model planes, and at least two different candy stores.
Today, Widowmaker did not take to the roofs. The design of the indoor market made it difficult to do so, plus it was relatively easy to shadow her target through the number of crowds pushing past her.
In order to help conceal herself just a little further, she was wearing a thin coat over the top half of her body, the slate grey fabric clinging around her waist and tied securely with a matching belt.
She kept her distance, pretending to peruse the stalls and show interest in items, every so often checking in her peripheral vision as to Tracer's location. Her eyebrows lifted and she tilted her head as she watched the Brit pick up a rosy red apple from a fruit stall, smiling brightly and handing a few coins to the man behind the counter, his bristly moustache twitching over his lips as he thanked her.
Tracer flicked the apple up into the air, before catching it and walking off, taking a bite out of the fresh fruit. It was so casual it was almost unnerving, and for the briefest of moments Widowmaker felt as though she was peering in at something most intimate. Strange, considering she practically made her life out of watching other peoples lives.
Sliding between a pair of giggling women that refused to give space in the crowd, Widowmaker couldn't help herself but to turn towards them and give them an icy stare; though she was fairly certain they didn't even notice her or the blazing fury in her eyes.
Turning back, she peered around the clusters of people enjoying the sights and sounds of the market, the very tips of her ears twitching in case that very British giggle rang out in the crowds. Alas, all she could hear was the muttering of families talking, children laughing and store owners shouting out their discounts at the top of their lungs.
A soft growl of dissatisfaction escaped her, but she continued her hunt nonetheless. Moving through the waves of people, she peered into one of the candy stores she knew Tracer so liked, but to no avail. The hobby store wasn't far down either, but upon checking it was also vacant of the girl she searched for.
Her lips downturned, she wasn't aware of the frown marring her face, only the consuming emptiness that seemed to have settle inside her stomach. Tightening her waist belt, she straightened herself up and began to make her way towards one of the exits. It was as she was turning a corner past a busy bakery that she ran into someone, their bodies almost crashing together, and she was about to let loose a very French obscenity from her lips when she saw who it was.
"Lena?" the confusion was evident in her voice, yet laced with a demanding tone. The woman only grinned in reply, flashing a quick wink as she leant towards her.
"Sorry luv, just wanted to get ya' a surprise and all," a nervous chuckle. "Couldn't have you sticky beakin' around me."
There was a moment of confusion inside of Amélie's chest as Tracer whipped her hands out from behind her back, where they had been snugly tucked away. Arms extended, fingers wrapped delicately around tinted blue plastic that held a bundle of dark red roses. The petals glistened with tiny droplets of water that beaded on their petals, the centres of which faded into velvety black.
Lena's cheeks were tinged with the palest of pinks, lips curved up into an expectant smile that only accentuated the roundness of her cheekbones.
Amélie's eyes flickered in a panic, hairs on the nape of her neck bristling as she noticed people around her staring, pressing themselves into her business. An old man and lady couple who were awaiting to be served at the bakery smiled at her, then Tracer. Several other men and women also looked over, some only showing the briefest of interest, others watching intently.
A thousand eyes upon her, judging her, wondering why she wasn't just accepting the flowers. Lena's eyes watched her as well, her smile fading more as she stood there with arms extended and the colour in her cheeks darkening.
Flowers, what a fool. What are flowers but flimsy plants that simply die? Like everything dies. She is a fool, such a fool.
She blinked once, reaching out and accepting the bunch of roses like they were fragile and would crush under the weight of her fingers. Lifting them gently, she allowed the fresh aroma to meet her nostrils, the floral scent bringing a calmness to her that wasn't there before.
"They are..." she couldn't make eye contact, afraid now that if she did she might just take off and never return. "Lovely."
She bought us flowers? Whatever would Talon think of this? Best not let them find out or it will be your head on a platter.
A soft giggle, feet scuffing against the ground.
"Fought ya' might like em. Weren't too sure, but ya' can't blame a girl for tryin'."
The eyes around her shifted, and in a slow haze everyone returned to their business, buying doughnuts and strawberry tortes; hushing their children who scrambled and fought at their ankles; bantering with the salesman who always gave them a discount. She once again became insignificant amongst the crowd.
Something stirred in her chest and she wasn't sure what it was at first, gripping the bundle of flowers more tightly and holding them against her coat, she dared to lift her head until she found herself willing to make eye contact. Tracer wasn't wearing her goggles over her vision today, the swirling of browns, greens and a little bit of amber in her irises appearing even more stunning than usual.
Amélie thought she might find judgement there, or fear, or both. But she only found a young woman smiling back at her, sincerity and joy in her eyes at the simple fact of her having accepted the flowers.
How could someone like her ever want someone like you? You're a monster, undeserving of love or life.
"Tu me rends fou," she uttered under her breath, fully aware that Lena couldn't understand what she was saying by the slight tilt of her head but taking advantage of the lack of knowledge in French the girl possessed.
Turning away from the bakery, Amélie began to walk through the crowds, fully expecting the shorter girl to follow alongside her; she was completely right in this respect, Lena taking several quick steps to catch up until they could almost have passed for a couple walking along side each other.
"Ya' know if ya' wanted to compliment my butt, you coulda' just said so," Lena teased, not phased one single bit by Amélie's cold exterior.
Gritting her teeth, she tried hard to swallow a burning sensation that coiled in her throat and spiraled down to her stomach.
Hard to believe that she is still here, why doesn't she fear you and what you've done?
Brow furrowing, Amélie spared the slightest of glances towards her walking companion, the tiny woman also stealing glances in her direction.
"Why do you not run from me?"
Hazel eyes turned to her again, bright and beautiful under a cocked eyebrow as though they hid a wonderful secret.
"When've I ever ran from a challenge?"
Before Widowmaker had a chance to formulate her reply, she spotted a flash of black and red amongst waves of people, her keenly trained eyesight spotting it despite it being at least a hundred meters away from them. A surge of adrenaline coursed through her veins and she grabbed Tracer by the forearm, tugging her forcefully into a shoe store.
The smaller woman allowed herself to be dragged to the back of the shop, which was empty except for a lady shopping two aisles down for a pair of slippers.
Pinning Lena against the flat end of the aisle, she made sure she had a view of the outside, concentrating with her incredible vision and waiting for what could have almost been an eternity for the man to pass the shop. This entire time, Lena squirmed and her cheeks had flushed a gentle colour of rouge from merely being pressed against the assassin.
"Talon agent," Amélie let out a long breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, her eyes flicking downwards and meeting Lena's. "They will kill us both if they see us together."
Without missing a beat, Lena managed to finesse one of her hands between the two of them, sliding it up Amélie's chest where it rested at the opening to her coat. Small fingers pressed against cool skin, resting there for a few seconds to allow warmth to spread through contact.
"Totally worth it, luv."
This warmth was so strange, so different to the sensation of feeling your enemies blood trickling over your flesh. It was like a lighter being sparked somewhere deep inside her chest, spreading through her entire body like a wildfire.
There was a heartbeat beneath Lena's palm. Soft, steady, achingly slow, but something in it reacted to the contact; Amélie was suddenly too aware of the sensation of their bodies pressed together and it was clouding her mind, clouding her judgement.
A soft breath escaped her lips as Lena bounced up on her tippy toes, the smaller brunette not wasting any time in closing the gap and pressing their lips together. Her chest ached, the sensation beginning to travel all the way down as Lena pulled her closer, lips dancing over hers and begging for entrance; it was far too easy for her to comply.
Their kiss deepened, the sensation filling Amélie's chest whilst burrowing an aching emptiness inside of her even deeper. At that same moment, she felt that warm hand sliding down the front of her coat, pushing through an opening in the fabric until it was snaking around her waist.
The sensation was overwhelming, filling her senses with heat and softness. In that moment, she didn't want it to end, arching into Lena's touch and letting out a gentle gasp as the fingers began to travel down her spine.
Another gasp rang out, followed by a gentle thud, the two breaking their intimate moment to see a very flushed looking woman now bending over to pick up the pair of shoes she had just dropped on the ground. She hastily made her way past the two women, not making eye contact as she went to pay for her shoes at the front of the store.
Amélie did not feel embarrassment or sheepishness, her vision still fuzzy as the heat slowly began to drain from her body, a lingering warmth remaining as her and Tracer stood pressed together. On the other hand, though her cheeks were a little flushed, Lena had the biggest shit eating grin on her face. Clearly, she was showing no remorse for their situation either.
Why does she smile like that? Talon could be waiting, watching, to kill her and me. So easily they could take her out... this cannot happen.
"Lena, you need to leave," Amélie's voice was stern, but not entirely cold.
As though voicing her confusion with her eyes, the smile fell from Lena's lips, hazel eyes flickering between Amélie's as she searched for an answer.
"Talon," she pulled away from the brunette, but allowed the woman to catch her by the wrist even as she tried to put distance between them. "They know something is wrong with me..."
She didn't have time to think of a way to finish that sentence, those thin fingers pulling her back until she had no choice but to look directly at the one holding her hostage. So serious.
"Luv, what you been put through, by them Talon ass holes..." Lena stopped, her face crinkling as though the thought alone was causing her pain. "They mighta' taken your life away from you, but you can get it back."
There were memories inside of her, memories she had been forced to repress, memories Talon had thought wiped from her mind but had only lain dormant. Memories of a life before, a love before. A man she had married, a cause that he stood for.
Then, there were flashes of pain. Needles buried deep in her arms and chemicals pumped through her veins, liquid that burned and made her scream against her restraints. Something... inside of her head, planted there, something hard and scratching, screeching at her to do Talon's bidding. She wasn't sure, but something must have gone wrong. The device wasn't working like it was supposed to any more, and she could feel it, droplets of herself falling back into a lake that had been dry for as long as she could remember.
"Amélie, let me fix you."
Her words were so sincere it was almost painful, a welling of emotions in her throat making her swallow a lump that had formed there.
"Lena... S'il vous plaît," Amélie's eyes began to sting, but she would not allow herself to cry tears this day. "You must go, it isn't safe here for you."
The tiny Brit looked none too pleased about it, but after allowing herself a moment to take a deep breath and steel herself, she tried her very best to put a smile on her face.
"Promise you'll see me again soon, yeah?"
You will only put her in danger!
"I will always find you."
Lena seemed pleased with this answer, though it was not necessarily a promise. She leaned up and cupped Amélie's face, running a thumb over her soft, cold skin before pressing a lingering kiss to the blue skinned woman's cheek.
The warmth was pleasant, staying with her even as Tracer let loose a trademark giggle and zipped off in a haze of blue.
She had waited a few minutes, staying in the store until she decided it would be a safe time to leave. She had kept her eyes open and inspecting her surroundings at every second, but made no observations of the Talon agent from earlier. Amélie decided that for the time being it would be best if she made her way to her home away from the base, making sure she had all the supplies she needed stocked up.
Adjusting her coat as she made her way through the streets, she had a feeling that it wouldn't be long until she would need them.
AN: Special shoutout to MaynesHere, Vanguard-of-Debauchery, Mio-Dono, T, for leaving reviews. It's very much appreciated :). Thank you everyone else who has viewed and favourited!