Kindred Spirits

Chapter Eleven: Elated

~ o ~

Dreams can be the most terrifying thing one can experience

But it is also where one's innermost desires reveal themselves

~ o ~

"Is this really a good idea?"
"You claim to be a super soldier. I want to see first hand."

I clenched my fists and took a fighting stance, though Aiden didn't seem very interested in doing so.

"I don't want to hurt you Amélie." he said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Don't underestimate me chérie. I told Dr. Ziegler that I would keep you on your feet while you recovered so a work out is just what you need." I explained.

He took a reluctant breath before taking a fighting stance of his own.

"Like I said. I don't want to hurt you. Don't expect me to hit you." he said.

I didn't give him a chance to say another word as I dashed at him. I fired a punch towards his stomach but he sidestepped it without any effort. After recovering from my momentum, I launched a swift barrage of punches and kicks. He blocked each and every one of them, never taking his crimson eyes off of mine. He stayed true to his word; he didn't fight back. I stepped back to catch my breath as I tried to find a weakness or an opening that I could exploit.

"This is pointless Amélie." he said with a sigh.

I then noticed him guarding just a little too much to the right, leaving his left flank a little exposed. I smiled deviously to myself.

"You still haven't told me why you don't want to fight back. It's supposed to be a sparring match." I said.
"Like I said. I don't want hurt you; I can do so very easily without even meaning to." he replied.

I approached him, keeping my eyes locked onto his as I dashed towards him. He predictably started blocking my kicks and punches and once he caught my right hand, I spun around and fired a punch with my left. He just barely dodged it, clearly not expecting the blow and that was the chance I needed. Once my left fist whizzed past his face, I immediately crouched and managed to sweep him off his feet. However, he reacted almost instantly, catching himself on a single hand and immediately springing back to his feet like an expert gymnast with a cartwheel and backflip. He smiled at me.

"Nice try...my turn."

He cleared the distance between us so quickly that I barely got a chance to react. He threw a punch but stopped short of my stomach. As soon as I looked down to see his fist, he opened his hand and placed it on my bare stomach very gently. I then looked back up to see him smiling at me.

"Checkmate." he whispered.

For some reason, my eyes refused to disconnect from his as I felt my pride begin to take hold. I swept him off his feet one more time before pinning him to the ground with my foot. He raised his hands in defeat and laughed softly.

"Alright. You win this round." he said with a chuckle.

I rolled my eyes as I helped him up but for some reason, he slipped on his right foot. He nearly fell into me as he shot a hand out to the wall to prevent his fall. However...he drifted very near to my face in doing so. He didn't seem to notice, but I felt my cheeks heat up greatly from the proximity.

"Sorry...that wasn't my smoothest move." he said.

He tried to move away but I meekly placed my hand on his abs. He definitely noticed that as he looked down at me, his face blank but his crimson eyes radiating with curiosity. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't examining him from head to toe for the entirety of the training session.

I had only gotten to see him without a shirt once and that was the time I bandaged his wounds when he rescued me from Oscar. He was completely healed, though he did have a few remaining scars from his assassin days, two across his torso and one just above his remarkably toned abs. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants for this session and earlier when he was practicing his Hapkido forms, he had discarded his black white tanktop because of how hot the gym was. Now...it seemed like he looked extra attractive.

Maybe it was because my mind was finally free of all of their previous inhibitors, maybe it was because I was now feeling the rush of hormones as Dr. Ziegler said...or maybe it was just because I finally acknowledged that I really liked him.

Whatever the reason, I ran my hand slowly up his abs and over his scars. He didn't shy away, instead looking down curiously at me. My hand found its way up his chest before reaching his cheek. My eyes then focused on his lips and for some reason, my hand decided to lightly ghost over them. The hesitation was clear in his eyes...but he again didn't move away. His eyes then narrowed, turning from curiosity to genuine passion. His breathing then quickly heightened as he turned away.

"...I'm sorry." he whispered.

I shook my head, using my hand to guide his face back to mine.

"...Why are you so scared?" I asked.
"Because I don't want to ruin what we have...nor do I want to dishonor your husband." he replied.

I shook my head once more before smiling lightly at him.

"...Out of every other man alive, you're the only one he would entrust me to. I'm sure of that."

He looked at me, again with disbelief.

"You've been nothing short of a perfect gentleman to me throughout everything we've been through. Don't you think if I didn't want you around...I'd have told you by now?"

My words seemed to be disarming his reasoning as he became more flustered than he was determined.

"...If I didn't want you to touch me, I wouldn't have let you within ten feet...let alone held me while I slept."

The urge to move forward began to drive me insane as I used my free hand to touch his abs once again.

"You don't have to be afraid...I want this."

I leaned closer to him until my body began to meld with his. I brought my lips close to his and gently ghosted over them. He still seemed hesitant, but his determination had all but disappeared. I lightly kissed him a second time...but he still continued to resist his desire. I gently stroked his cheek with my thumb.

"It's okay Aiden..."

My voice softened to a soothing whisper and after a few seconds, he pressed his lips to mine and kissed me...passionately. It wasn't at all the hormone driven, carnal type of kiss I expected...because I knew I was teasing him so much. What I was wearing last night, the outfit of a short black tanktop and short black shorts for this gym session...I probably drove him mad.

But yet, he wasn't even remotely rough with me.

I used my hands to keep his head in place as my lips began to hungrily kiss back. He was clearly taken aback by the response for a moment, but he quickly wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close, to the point where my body was practically melded with his. The warm air of the gym that was previously an annoyance had suddenly become intense and meaningful as I melted in his arms. The kiss gradually turned from a passionate one to a very intense one and it wasn't long before he cradled me in his arms and pressed me to the wall in an effort to somehow intensify the sensation. His lips were unbelievably soft and astonishingly skillful; I couldn't find a single criticism to what he was doing.

For someone who lost his wife all that time ago, he was still quite skilled in how to make a woman turn to mush in his arms.

I broke away from him for a moment, panting softly because my lungs for some reason decided to stop drawing in air. He was doing just about the same thing; his eyes now sharply focusing on my face and his breathing soft but rapid. Once I got the needed oxygen, I looked into his eyes. He responded by lifting me slightly above him, his arms comfortably finding their way between my waist and rump to cushion me. His eyes were now passionate.

He was about to say something, but I silenced him with a finger.

"Enough talking..." I whispered.

I lowered my lips back down to his and tightened my grip around his neck. The heat intensified more and more with every passing second until it became difficult to stay focused.

Slowly...everything began to feel blurry...

My eyes opened and as far as I could tell, I was not in a gym. I examined my surroundings nervously until I felt a gentle heat against my back. I then looked down to see strong arms around my waist. I cursed under my breath.

"That was a dream?...ALL of that? BON SANG!"

It took a few seconds for me to realize however that I had dreamed of that entirely on my own. If I could see myself in a mirror right now, I was probably the same shed as the velvet sheets that were covering me. His steady breathing indicated that he was still fast asleep. I looked to the clock on the end table to see that it was 8 AM. I quietly freed myself, being sure to not wake him up as I entered the bathroom. After dousing my face in cold water, I let out a heavy sigh.

"...Sometimes I wish he wasn't so virtuous..."

I thought it was blatantly obvious that I would never reject his advances, but he continued to remain abstinent. I knew for a fact that he had feelings for me hidden within, but the grief about his wife as well as his friendship with Gerard and mostly likely even his friendship with me was holding him back.

"...Am I a cold person for not feeling guilty about thinking this way?"

My thoughts were broken once I noticed my PDA vibrating on the end table. I quickly picked it up and made my way into the kitchen, shutting the door quietly behind me as I did. The call was coming...from Sombra.

"Bonjour." I whispered.
"Hey spider. I just realized that I forgot to buy you new clothes before I arrived in France. You've got nothing to wear apart from that nightgown and what I left back there. Hopefully you're my size!" she said.

I noticed a small suitcase in front of the couch. I opened it and felt my cheeks triple in temperature.

"Of course she wears nothing but short shorts and tank tops..."

"Don't worry. I've got you covered! I left you a few wads of cash in the bag. You should go out and get some clothes mija." she urged.
"I'm not leaving Aiden here by himself." I replied firmly.
"Relax araña. I'll be there to take care of him while you're gone. I know he's still recovering from his surgery so I won't let him on his feet. Lo prometo."

I sighed deeply before finally giving in, realizing that it probably wasn't a good idea to think that I could get away with wearing Sombra's clothes until we found somewhere to stay permanently.

"Alright. If anything happens, call me." I said in an almost scolding manner.
"Of course. You know I'll take good care of him mija."

I pulled on all of the long sleeved clothing I could find in the suitcase before looking back at the PDA.

"You'll be able to get in here while I'm gone?" I asked.
"An electronic door in front of the best hacker in the world? Please." she chuckled.

I picked up an empty handbag from the suitcase and stuffed the stacks of money into the bag. After writing a note, I placed it on the end table before taking one more look at Aiden's sleeping form.

I couldn't think of a time I had seen him at such ease.

Not wanting to ruin his sleep, I quietly took the keys to the black sports car we drove here and turned to the exit.

"I'm off. I'll see you in a while." I said.
"Take your time mija; I don't really think you've had some time for R&R for yourself have you?"

Now that she mentioned it, I actually couldn't remember the last time I had done something normal in the course of a day...and by normal I meant not contemplating a way to kill my targets or ensuring all of my resources were together for the hit attempt.

"I suppose you're right. But I still don't feel good leaving him here." I said with another sigh.
"He's in good hands. By the way...did you tell him how you feel?"

I paused for a moment, keeping the PDA to my ears as I locked the hotel room door behind me.

"What do you mean?"
"Ay dios mio. I know that you're crazy about him. Can't you see he's loco about you too?"

I let out a sigh and shook my head.

"He doesn't want to 'betray' his best friend or his morals...he won't act on anything." I replied.
"Then push his buttons. Get him to understand that it's alright."

She sounded almost as if she were suggesting the idea.

"No man can resist a woman he cares about forever. I think you should get something a little more...comfortable. And then see how strong his will is then."

I looked at the screen in disbelief at her vulgar suggestions. She responded by snickering softly.

"Do you really think he's that type of man?" I asked in disbelief.
"Not at all. But that's the only way I can think of to tell him that you don't mind. Right now, he's probably keeping himself away because he doesn't think you like him for the right reasons. Think about it amiga."

The more she spoke, the more I began to understand the internal conflict within him. I suppose it made a lot of sense coming from her as well; she knows more about him than I do.

"If there's one thing I've learned about Aiden Beuclair, it's that he's not the best at voicing his true feelings; he'll bottle it all up until the day he dies if you don't give him a reason to draw it out."

She then looked at the screen before smiling.

"Get something steamy mija. You're the only person I've ever seen get him so flustered." she teased.

Before I could even try to scold her, she blew me a kiss and cut the call off with a triumphant laugh. After placing my PDA in the handbag, I cleared my throat before making my way to the car...with Sombra's words continuously nagging at my mind like a mosquito.

"What will you be having tonight monsieur?"
"The Coq au vin with a bottle of Jura for the table." I replied.

The waiter quickly wrote down my order before approaching Amélie.

"And what for the beautiful madame?" he asked.

She put her hand to her chin for a moment before pointing at the menu.

"Le Jambon persillé. S'il vous plaît."

The waiter wrote the order down and took his leave after a polite bow. My attention turned back to Amélie, who was now smiling at me.

"This is a nice place. I've never been here before." she said.
"It's relatively new; opened a decade and a half ago. It's very popular." I explained.
"Is it because of the food?" she asked.

I shook my head and pointed towards the live band, who were playing very soothing music.

"There's a event where once every two hours, the band will start playing music and couples are asked to dance on stage. Normally, it's three couples selected at random." I explained.
"I see."

The waiter returned with the bottle of wine that I ordered before once again bowing and leaving. I removed the cork with a loud pop.

"Would you like some?" I asked.
"Of course."

She handed me her glass and gave me an enthusiastic smile. I filled the glass and handed it back to her before filling my own. She took a sip and grinned slightly.

"Délicieux." she said.

Glad that she was enjoying herself, I took the chance to admire just how beautiful she looked.

She was not a woman who needed makeup to look beautiful, but she applied some slightly pale pink lipstick and a very light amount of foundation to her face. She clearly made use of the money Sombra gave her to clean herself up fully because I couldn't see even a tiny blemish on her immaculate face. I was so used to seeing her yellow eyes before her surgery that I had forgotten that they were really a beautiful ocean blue.

With just that face alone, she could enthrall just about any man...but then there what she was dressed in.

She definitely knew how to bring attention to herself because at least a dozen men eyed her like hungry wolves. She was wearing a light purple dress that had a straight cut down the middle, which exposed a good amount of her cleavage and stopped slightly below her breasts. The dress stretched down to about half way down her calves and was slit at the sides, which exposed a little of her legs but only if she allowed it to. It was a sleeveless dress and in order to hide the tattoo on her back, she let her hair completely out, pinning up only a small amount of it to lower its total volume. Even with some of it pinned, it was still enough to cover the entire tattoo...and now that I thought about it, her dark purple hair had become somewhat of a trademark of hers and to this day, I still had no idea how she managed to maintain it...but it was still every bit as beautiful as the day I first laid eyes on it.

To hide her arm tattoo, she wore velvet arm warmers which covered most of her hands unless she held them vertically, in which case it would slide down just enough to expose the whole hand, but none of the tattoo. She had clearly put a lot of thought into what she was wearing tonight; no one would be able to recognize her unless they knew her personally...

"And she looks so incredibly gorgeous...it's baffling."

She evidently noticed my eyes as she blushed slightly and smiled.

"...You're staring a little too much." she whispered.
"Can't a man admire his gorgeous date?" I replied.

My compliment caused her to smile even more brightly, her eyes finding their way to mine as she leaned forward with her hands clasped. After resting her chin on them, she gave me her undivided attention.

"Merci. You look very handsome yourself chérie." she whispered.

I nervously laughed, thinking that my haphazard selection of a black, button-up long sleeved dress shirt and dark grey dress pants with black dress shoes was nothing to write home about. She however, evidently liked what she saw as she had barely taken her eyes off of me throughout the entire time we've been here.

"Merci." I replied.

For the next fifteen minutes, I filled her in on everything I knew about the restaurant before we sat in a surprisingly normal conversation, talking about what we would do once I found a place to live instead of having to hop from hotel to hotel. She had already gotten an apartment in a relatively fancy area, but I wasn't so fortunate in my search. I suppose it was because I liked secluded places, while she didn't seem to care at all. She even mentioned that she was considering coming off the radar entirely, giving up the assassin's life in favor of living a quiet life with only periodic contracts. I was not one to question her morals and by now, I knew that she was no longer the heartless sniper I met again mere months ago. Now, she had returned to her previous self...only now complete with all the training and tools she needed to kill a man in dozens of different ways.

The food arrived not long after we stopped talking and after thoroughly enjoying it, the announcer stepped up to the podium that was next to the live band.

"The couples for the next live dance have been selected. Tables 14, 20 and 22! Please step forward!" he said.

I felt my heart skip a beat as I recognized the third number as our table. I looked at her and much to my surprise, she was shying away. Her face had turned pink and there was no doubt in my mind that her heart was going about as crazy as mine was. However, I got to my feet and stood next to her before holding a hand out politely. I made sure to look inviting instead of pressuring, which seemed to help her calm down a bit.

"May I have this dance?" I asked.

She hesitated for a few moments, but she responded by placing her right hand into mine.

"...I haven't done this in a very long time." she whispered.

I led her to the floor and held her hand, waiting to hear the song that was going to play. Soon, a very soothing piano solo started to play. It set the mood almost flawlessly as I looked into her eyes and beckoned her to come closer. She did just that, bringing her body close to mine as I placed my hands on her waist. She then wrapped her hands around my neck as we started to rock to the melody. It was no fancy dance, mostly because I was a terrible dancer, but she didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, her smiling made me believe that she was thoroughly enjoying it. At certain points, she leaned her head into my neck and allowed me to take the lead. Needless to say...this made me even more nervous because one wrong step would've made things very awkward.

But I didn't mess up. We danced to a beautiful minute and a half of piano music in what felt like the most comfortable pace ever. Once the music stopped, everyone started to clap for the couples who participated. Not wanting to draw too much attention, we both bowed before taking our seats once more. After ordering dessert, I looked back at her to see that she was grinning at me...in her own way.

"You didn't tell me that you were a good dancer." she said.

I shook my head and laughed nervously.

"Of all the things I've tried in my life thus far, dancing is definitely not something I consider myself good at." I replied.

She laughed softly before looking at me with almost dreamy eyes.

"I haven't had that much fun in what feels like ages...thank you for tonight." she said.

She caught me off guard with those words, but I nodded confidently.

"You're most welcome."

~ o ~

"Thank you for taking me home." she said.
"You're welcome. If you intend to come by, let me know so I can disarm the security systems." I urged.

She nodded slowly before turning to open the door. After opening it, she suddenly turned around, cursing softly under her breath.

"There was something I forgot to ask you. I need a little help." she said.

I nodded and followed her into the small apartment. She led me to the kitchen before pointing at several eight gallon water bottles.

"Could you set one of those up for me?" she asked.
"Sure. No problem." I replied.

I quickly lifted the bottle onto the kitchen counter. After attaching a spout to it and ensuring there were no leaks, I placed it within a metal frame that allowed it to hang over the edge. All she would have to do to get water now is squeeze the spout with a cup underneath it.

"Merci." she whispered.
"You're welcome." I replied.

I rolled the sleeves of my shirt up to wash my hands from the dirt on the bottle...but once I turned around, I noticed that she had stepped in my way. It wasn't a hostile or defiant sort of way...but she gave me a very meek look. Her ocean orbs focused on mine and for some reason, she appeared in much greater detail. Perhaps it was the atmosphere of the restaurant that distracted me, maybe it was the fact that she was barely two feet away from me and there was no table keeping us apart...

Or maybe it was because her lips looked so incredibly inviting that it became borderline maddening to keep myself from giving in. I thought back to my good times with Gerard, especially the double dates we did with Lisa and her...and I felt nothing but guilt begin to well within me once I even considered laying a hand on Amélie. It wasn't right...and even though he was gone, it gave me no right to look at his wife romantically...

But could I help it? Could something that felt so warm and inviting be so wrong? The last few months had already made it obvious to my defiant morals that I felt for her...probably more than I've ever felt since Lisa was still alive. But that was how I felt. I didn't even consider Amélie most of the time.

She was clearly still lamenting over Gerard. She still had a lot of psychological problems left over from the reconditioning breaking and she was also experiencing far more hormonal activity than she's had in over a decade with a new heart. To put it simply...everything was heightened for her because she just wasn't used to being able to feel all of these things again. Because I did so much for her...her gratitude probably convinced her that she cared for me more than just a mere friend. That I deserved to be loved after all I've done for her...

But I didn't believe in any of that. As far as I was concerned...even being in this apartment with her looking at me like this was an insult to Gerard's honor. Hell...even just taking her on a date tonight and dancing with her felt like I defiled his memory.

I had to make myself scarce...before I lost my self-control and before the guilt ate me alive.

"Well...I better get back to the hotel. We have a long day tomorrow." I said.

I tried to get past her...but she almost immediately grabbed onto my hand. It wasn't in a demanding sort of way...but an almost pleading one. I turned around, immediately sensing her discomfort from the feel of her grip. Just as I thought...

"She's conflicted on what to do..."

She couldn't look me in the eyes and her hand seemed as if it were working with a mind of its own in keeping me here. Her other hand hovered just over her chin, evidently trying to help her brain sort out what to say or do next. It took a few seconds, but she finally looked me in the eyes again.

"...Is that how you end a date?" she asked.

I closed my eyes and sighed before turning away.

"This...this entire night...it was a mistake." I whispered.

The guilt began to overwhelm me as my heart began to race.

"I don't know why I asked you out tonight...I just felt like I needed to spend some quality time with you. When we didn't have to worry about killing someone or escaping danger the next day." I explained.

My eyes shut tightly as I shook my head.

"What's wrong? Is there something you're not telling me?" she asked.

My free hand clenched into a fist as I struggled to find the words to express my feelings.

"It's...it's not you Amélie. It could never be you because you haven't done anything wrong...it's all me." I said with a drawn out sigh.

I turned my head away from her.

"I...I'm afraid that I've grown to care for you far more than I should. You're my best friend's wife and the one who I swore to protect with everything I have. I'm not someone who you should...care for in that manner. I don't deserve-"
"Stop it."

My eyes shot open to see a gentle, yet serious look...almost like she was scolding me.

"What-"
"Don't you dare try to tell me what you think you deserve."

Her grip on my hand tightened and her eyes becoming more intense meant that she did all the thinking she needed.

"Are you afraid that my feelings aren't real? That they're only the result of the gratitude from you doing so much for me?" she asked.

Knowing that there was no way I could bring myself to lie to her, I nodded.

"Aiden...you've gone to lengths that most men would never go for the love of their life. You didn't just save my life several times...you freed me from the guilt I've felt for what I did when I first became Widowmaker." she explained.

She drew closer to me, releasing my hand and placing hers on my cheek.

"You have no idea how much you've done to change me...and you can say that Gerard would never forgive you but as I remember my husband, he always told me that I should do what makes me happy with no exceptions. It was one of the mandates he lived by." she said.

Her free hand held my right hand.

"When you asked me on that date...I can't remember a time when I've felt so elated. It made me so happy that my feelings weren't one-sided...and don't try to tell me that they aren't; I know and see the way you look at me."

That was Amélie Lacroix for you: never misses a detail when observing a target. I had no words to reply with in the slightest. Her hand left my cheek.

"There's one more thing I want you to do for me...and I understand if you refuse." she said.
"What is it?"

I had no idea why I responded to that so quickly, but she immediately started to blush despite her determined face.

"...I want you to kiss me." she whispered.

I tried to speak again, but she cut me off with a finger.

"Please Aiden...I need to know if what I'm feeling...is real..."

Her voice sounded almost melancholy and right then and there, it felt as if I ruined the night by telling her everything I just did. I still hesitated, thinking back to all the close encounters I had with her...even down to her asking me to sleep with her for a night at the hotel in Paris. I let out a deep breath, steeling my heart for the next moment and forcing my morals to the back of my mind.

And then I brought my lips to hers.

At first, it was almost exploratory, as if I too were trying to figure out if my feelings were real or the result of spending so much time with her...but the face she made once I broke away after the two second contact convinced me to try again. I brought them back to hers again, this time ensuring that I wasn't hesitating out of fear of rejection but out of going too far. She finally responded in kind, her hands holding each of mine tightly as she tilted her head slightly, pressing the entirety of her lips into mine. I couldn't believe how soft her lips felt...and how sweet she tasted; she made the strawberry cheesecake we ate an hour ago seem bland.

She broke away for a few moments, catching her breath with her eyes remaining as slits. She did not move far away however and before I could make another move, she wrapped her arms around the back of my head and kissed me once more, this time full on the mouth. For that moment, I allowed my morals to vanish as I hungrily kissed back, my arms now finding their way to her waist as I tried to get as much of her as I could. She responded by pulling me towards the counter, prompting me to lift her onto it. She straddled me with her legs, half locking them around me as she pulled me zealously into her. The adrenaline combined with the maddening amount of dopamine going through my brain sent my hands into an instinctive frenzy, guiding them from her waist down to her legs. They ghosted over her exposed skin, causing her to moan softly in between the split second breaks we took to get air.

This continued for several minutes, our intense liplock somehow finding a way to make the initially cold room feel like a sauna until I finally managed to tear myself off of her. I looked at her face to see her cheeks were flushed with red and her eyes intoxicated with passion...

~ o ~

My eyes shot open as I immediately scanned the room.

"Oh man...what a dream...sometimes...I really hate my brain; the dreams are always some kind of sneaky message."

I noticed Amélie's absence from my arms as I looked to the end table to check the clock.

"4 PM...I've never slept this late before."

I rose from the bed and then noticed a note that was placed under the clock. I picked it up and turned on the lamp. It was unmistakably Amélie's handwriting.

Sombra will be there to keep an eye on you.

Take it easy for the day. I've gone to buy clothes to wear along with some other necessities.

Don't even think about cooking anything; I'm doing it tonight and every night until that week is over.

Please get some rest...it would make me very happy.

Amélie

I smiled to myself before peering out of the door to see Sombra asleep on the couch. Evidently, she's been here for a while. Knowing that she would never forgive me for doing anything "strenuous", I climbed back into the bed and let out a sigh.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to be on the sidelines for once..."