May 11th, 1943; Tuesday (1-ish PM)

Aeris: (Latin) Air

Amid the street vendors that littered the densely packed walkways of Avenue des Champs-Élysées, a single newsstand caught Krista's eye. It was chock full of newspapers published in many languages, mostly German and French, but a handful in English. Headlines read of Germany's surrender to British and American forces in North Africa, behind the stacks of newspapers and magazines stood a wire rack that held a multitude of brochure-like maps. Krista plucked one from its home and scanned it for a moment before paying for it. She stuffed a handful of francs into the tip jar, and then set back off on her way.

Her left hand blindly fished around in her messenger bag slung over her shoulder and pulled out the scrap of paper that Hans had written an address on for her. She swapped the paper with the map, and tucked it inside. The trees that lined the avenue were full of life, their vibrant greens refreshed after the night's rain. The gardens were in full bloom, and it definitely felt like a typical Midwest spring. The air was calm and soothing and temperature was perfect. The sun peeked out from behind wispy clouds high in the sky, letting its warming rays caress Krista's skin.

Krista slowed her pace as she felt she was nearing the address on the paper. Did he tell her where she was meeting him? Absolutely not. Why would he do that? Where would the fun have been in that? She looked atop every door to every store front as she noticed the address numbers jumping around, and she suddenly had no idea if she was even traveling in the correct direction. She spun around on her heel and looked behind her, then back down at the paper. "What?" she mumbled to herself, her eyebrows gathering in confusion.

"Krista? Krista! Over here!" Krista turned back around, and she was greeted with the sight of Hans with one hand up to signal her. The afternoon breeze was jostling his hair about, and she smirked to herself because damn that was kinda sexy. That was usually how his hair looked when she was done with him.

Many tables sat outside, each with about six or seven German officers and their ladies at each. Joyous laughter and merriment drifted her direction as a rather strong gust of wind nearly swiped the paper from her loose grasp.

Krista stuffed the piece of paper back into her bag and closed the flap before adjusting the thin maroon cardigan around her torso. She offered a smile to him as she fought through the crowd of people, politely saying 'excuse me' along the way. "You made it." Hans extended his arms to her, and she didn't hesitate to reciprocate the gesture.

"Of course I did," she said with a gentle giggle as she found herself locked tightly against his chest. A simple tilt of her head was all it took to move her lips to brush over his neck with the utmost delicacy.

When Hans loosened his arms around her frame, she wasted no time in letting her tingling lips do what they wanted. As much as she wanted to let herself get carried away and carry out a lazy dance with his lips for hours, she was in public. She was classier than that while she flirted with sobriety.

It had only been four days since they had last seen each other, but it may as well have been a lifetime. Every time the thought of the way their fingers fit so perfectly together crossed Krista's mind, her heart snapped to those frantic, fluttery beats that scared her. How long could she possible deny it though? It was becoming clear that even her most solid efforts to protect herself from this man's charm were beginning to crumble. This was never what she expected. She really never expected to see him again after the handcuff debacle, but here they were.

When she pried herself unwillingly from his embrace, she swiped the pad of her thumb over his lip to clean it of the residue from her lipstick. "I'm sorry," she told him with a giggle as she wiped her thumb clean on the sleeve of her sweater.

"Don't apologize, my dear."

Hans took one of her hands and led her inside the café, keeping her close all the way to the back. There was a small room with one table and a door to ensure complete privacy. "This place is nice," Krista noted as she slipped into one of the chairs and looked up at the small but sparkling chandelier above them.

Hans nodded in agreement while he pulled his cigarette tin from his back pocket and laid it on the table. "It's the best coffee in the city," he stated confidently as if he were the owner of the shop.

Coffee dates were nice. And typically innocent. What could possibly happen, right? Oh wait… she was in a secluded room alone with Hans. A room that had potential to be closed off and become nearly invisible to the normal patrons. That surely meant that teasing touches and sinful conversations were on the table.

A waiter in a tuxedo promptly entered the room and placed a glass of water in front of each of them. "Fine day isn't it?" The waiter asked politely as he made his way to stand beside Hans.

"Very lovely indeed," Hans replied, catching Krista's eyes and holding them.

She knew that look, and she adored it. It was the look that she earned when he was truly, genuinely happy to be in her company. Having someone that showed her that sort of affection was still taking some getting used to, but she was enjoying taking a step back and slowing down to simply enjoy the process.

"Would you like your usual, sir?"

Hans nodded, his eyes still not leaving Krista's.

"And for the beautiful lady?"

"I'll have the same." She wasn't sure what 'the same was' but she trusted his judgment for the most part.

The waiter nodded to them both politely and closed the door behind him before heading back out onto the main floor.

After she placed her bag on the floor beside her chair, she tightened the dusty pink ribbon that kept her hair gathered at the base of her neck. Her left hand then made its way across the table, skating over the tablecloth until her fingertips finally met his. "You should know by now that I'm not the girl that'll say that I miss you, but honestly, I kind of missed your company," she told Hans with an innocent shrug. Her words coerced a smile from him as her graceful fingertips lazily sketched over the veins on the back of his hand.

Hans flipped his hand over, and she dropped her palm down onto his. "I'm not too proud to admit it," he began, rotating his hand until their palms pressed together. "I did miss you."

Krista slipped her fingers in the gaps between his and dug her teeth into her bottom lip in a weak attempt to conceal the stupid smile that her lips wanted form. "You're so sweet."

She found it pathetic that now the most pure and innocent touches caused the ceaseless butterflies in her stomach go mad just as his salacious caresses behind closed doors did. They were just holding hands. That was all. But what it felt like was the stars beginning to align, because the unity that their clasped hands symbolized felt real.

Hans gave her hand a squeeze before releasing it once two steaming cups of coffee were placed before them. "Merci beaucoup," Krista said with a beaming, polite smile before he took his leave once more.

The cup was hot in her hands as she blew gently to cool it as the unmistakable aroma of espresso wafted its way into her nostrils. "What are your plans today, love?" Hans asked, spooning some sugar into his ceramic cup.

She offered him a shrug. "I don't know. I might do some shopping. I'd like to get something nice for my sister. Maybe some jewelry." Sydney and Krista shared the lack of desire to wear jewelry on a regular basis, but Krista thought that maybe if it were from Paris, she'd make an exception.

"It seems that your sister isn't very dissimilar from yourself," he noted, raising his cup to his lips.

Krista cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes playfully from across the table. "How so?"

He caught her narrowed eyes and couldn't help but grin to himself from behind his cup. "You have expensive taste."

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, her tone good-humored.

Hans placed his cup back on its saucer and crossed his arms on the table top. His roving eyes made her insides quiver excitedly, because she knew those eyes were just for her. "Is your outfit not from the boutique next to the club?"

Krista stayed silent. Her entire outfit was less than two days old from the exact boutique he thought. Her lips curled into a grin as she rolled her eyes jokingly. "Okay, you got me. Yes, they are. But in my defense, I chose the skirt because I knew you'd like it."

His grin matched hers, and he sat back in his chair to admire her. "It was a good choice." It seemed that the occasions that she dressed as 'innocently' as she was, the tiniest bits of obscuring lace lie beneath. Imagining it was fun and all, but the real treat was getting a quick peek when everyone had their backs turned. "Back to the task at hand," he started, taking another sip from his cup. "I know the perfect place for you to find something for your sister. I can take you there this afternoon."

Krista blew another cooling breath over her cup of coffee before taking an incredible small and slow sip to gauge the temperature. "I'd love that, but you have to go back to work, don't you?"

Hans watched her as if she were an art form. "Darling, have you forgotten who I am?" He leaned forward, a wicked smirk tugging at his lips. "I can do whatever I please."

The way he lowered his voice in such a way that the raspy notes of it could be highlighted never failed to light Krista's fuse, regardless of the context. "How could I forget who you are when I can't get you out of my head?" Krista slipped a foot out of her heel and gently placed it in Hans's lap underneath the table. "You're like a drug to me," she admitted, tracing her middle finger along her collar bone solely because she knew how much enjoyment he got out of seeing her touch herself in any way.

His hand slid beneath the table to rest gently atop her shin, his fingers curving around to the base of her calf. "If you only knew how often I think about you," he told her with a dreamy grin.

Krista took another swig from her coffee cup as his thumb began to knead into her skin. "What do you think about?" She needn't ask, but she was curious of how he'd choose to respond.

"Wouldn't it be more fun to make you wonder?" Hans quipped, his hand drifting as far up her leg as he could reach.

Krista was so involved in the unfolding conversation that she hadn't noticed the two men in Gestapo uniforms that came to a screeching halt outside their private dining area. They both peered through the glass in the door, and one of them pointed nonchalantly into the room directly at Krista.

"Is that her?"

Dieter shook his head in disbelief as he watched Krista cast perfect smiles across the table to Hans. "That's her." He dropped his eyes and nervously adjusted his uniform when he saw Hans's hand make its way up Krista's leg. He cleared his throat and turned to face the exit. "Is that all? Can we leave now?" Dieter asked the other man, now clearly agitated.

Dieter didn't allow time for an answer, and set off back out to the street briskly.

For a moment, Jonas simply just observed at a distance. He watched vigilantly as she leaned over the table to swipe a cigarette and lit it, but ducked and went for the exit when she glanced in his general direction.

Outside, the fumes of diesel fuel burned Dieter's nose as a small convoy of messily painted Opel utility trucks rolled past. He stood with his back against a tree facing the street, aggressively toking on a cigarette while he impatiently waited for Jonas. "What's the problem? I thought you said she was alright. If I remember correctly, you even said that you liked her."

Dieter shook his head and took an excessively long drag on his cigarette before discarding it onto the ground. "I do. That's where the problem lies."

It took Jonas a moment to register that Dieter was on the move again because he was struck with a realization. He jogged to catch back up, but Dieter was walking so fast that he was struggling to keep up. "You're smitten. I can tell." Jonas gave Dieter a joking shove. "D, we've been friends since we were kids. You can't lie to me."

Dieter slowed his pace, but didn't stop. "So what if I am? It doesn't matter any way. I'll never be able to have her. Especially when Landa is my competition," he said with a note of sadness in his clean German. "He's going to break her heart, and she doesn't believe me."

"Well, if I'm family, maybe she'll listen to me... I'd still like to meet her."

"Good luck. It's nearly impossible to find her when you want to. Unless you happen to get lucky enough to catch her at work."

"Work?" Jonas asked, surprised. "She has a job? How long has she been looking for me?"

"Red's. And it's only been a couple of months. She hasn't been in Paris long. And I don't know how she found you, so don't ask me. But Landa showed me a picture of you that he took from her. That's not a coincidence." They came to an intersection and stopped, waiting for traffic to slow to allow them to cross the street.

"No, I suppose it's not. Do you think you could arrange for us to meet? Get a drink?" They crossed the street when it was clear, then walked straight into a bar full of other Gestapo and SS officers.

They snatched up two stools at the bar side by side, and removed their covers, placing them on the bar. "I can try. But keep in mind, Landa's protective of her. It's doubtful that he would be okay with you getting that close to her. Even if you are family."

13 Rue de la Paix (4:30 PM)

Krista signed her name on the receipt that read 'Cartier, 13 Rue de la Paix; Paris, France' at the top, and gently placed the pen on the glass counter top once she was finished. She studied the woman behind the counter as she placed Krista's newly purchased ring into snug fitting box. She caught a glimpse of the three small sapphires on the gold band before the box snapped shut and couldn't help but smile subtly to herself.

Truth be told, she found the exact piece she wanted for her sister, but it was much too expensive even for her. Since Hans was kind of enough to take the time out of his day to bring her here, she wasn't going to leave empty handed. So she treated herself to something instead. "Merci beaucoup," she said, beaming as she took hold of the bag the ring was placed in.

She had been so enraptured by the glinting and gleaming precious gems of all shapes and sizes, that she hadn't noticed that Hans was no longer at her side. He'd slipped away to the opposite end of the store, away from Krista's curious and wandering eyes. Krista swiveled around, her ribbon tied ponytail swinging behind her. As she approached Hans from behind, he shielded her from the red box that was slyly lid across the counter to him. He stuffed the long, but thin box into his pocket before she could see and turned around to see her patiently waiting for him.

Krista looked up at the darkening sky when outside the store as hostile clouds began to roll in from the east. They threatened to dump rain relentlessly on the land below, and the slight drop in temperature simply echoed that. May was the rainiest month in France, so she should have known that the sun's warmth from earlier in afternoon was nothing more than a cruel tease. "It looks like it's going to rain again," Krista said, standing at the passenger door of the car with her hand resting on the mirror.

"Then maybe it would be a great night to stay in. Don't you agree?" Krista moved out of the way so Hans could open the door for her, and she slipped inside.

She situated herself comfortably in the seat and smiled up at him. "I do agree, actually. That sounds nice."

Her imagination was running unsupervised, and it unearthed her memories of how incredibly rejuvenating it had been to be safely cocooned in his arms the night they spent at his little hideaway in the woods. As the rain battered against the canvas over their heads, his fingers traced abstract patterns over every bit of her skin that he could reach; it calmed her soul. She'd give almost anything to have an experience like that again. The security she felt entangled in his limbs was like venturing into the dark unknown for her. Krista had never felt as wanted and cherished when lying with any other.

"How about… you come stay the night with me?" She proposed with a sweet and hopeful voice. Improvisation was key: She couldn't fulfill her camping in the rain fantasy, but she could open her balcony door and sit by it, which was almost the same thing.

Hans nodded and started the car. "It would be my pleasure."

Krista's Hotel Room (11:15 PM)

Deep red merlot flowed into Krista's wine glass like a calming stream descending into a waterfall. "More than that," Krista said with a tipsy giggle. "I like heavy pours." Hans shook his head as he upturned the translucent green bottle until what remained splashed into her glass. 'Damn… that was quick,' she thought to herself when she saw that the first bottle had damn been drained already and Hans was grabbing the second one.

The sound of the cork being released from the second bottle was oh so satisfying. He poured himself another glass and took back his comfortable position atop the bedspread on his side, propped up on his left elbow. "How did I get lucky enough to get you all to myself tonight?" He asked her, his hazel eyes holding hers languidly.

"Because I wasn't in the mood to work tonight," she replied honestly, raising her very full glass to her lips with the care of a neurosurgeon so it wouldn't spill on the bright white bedding.

"You'd rather be with me," he stated smoothly with that half assed grin that he always used when he knew he was right. As unpredictable as Krista could be, the one thing he could almost always guarantee was that she'd choose his undivided attention over a night as Nina.

A familiar warmth rose to her cheeks, and it was a subtle reminder that no matter how valiant her efforts were to battle her feelings for him, she couldn't be the victor. Those feelings crept in unsolicited when her guard was down and her back turned. Now she couldn't shake them, and she was losing her grasp on her concealment of them. "Is it that obvious?" she asked, quirking a brow.

"Yes. You speak with your actions more than your words."

"What can I say? My love language is physical touch," Krista said confidently.

"I'll drink to that," he said, raising his glass to her level with a smirk.

Krista held the wine in her mouth before swallowing and she allowed herself to zone out for a short moment. Her eyes drifted out the balcony door as the rain splattered against the glass as blinding lightning illuminated the city. "When's your birthday?" she asked at random, her detached gaze still lying on the outside environment.

"When's yours?" Hans countered as he stood up and walked around the side of the bed to replace himself with his back against the headboard right beside Krista.

"Come on, I asked you first," she said playfully before taking a long, healthy swig of her wine and placing it on the table beside the bed.

Hans patted his lap, and she promptly situated herself in a position that allowed her head to rest there without any discomfort to her body. "October."

"You're going to have to be more specific than that," she said with a teasing laugh.

Hans's free arm came to rest lightly across Krista's abdomen, his fingers tugging her shirt from her skirt to cater to her love language. "October fourth."

She sat up, his hand slipping from her. "You're a Libra?"

Hans nodded slowly. "And if I were to venture a guess, I'd say that you're a Gemini."

The alcohol coursing through her system wasn't allowing her to hide her shock very well. Krista drew her legs together in a side seated position, now at full attention. "How did you know that?"

He shrugged. "I had a feeling. You have the personality of an air sign. I can feel the connection between us."

"I would have never taken you for someone that believes in astrology," she said, letting the loose strands of hair framing her face fall as she tilted her head to the side.

"I guess you learn something about me every day."

"Well, for the record… I believe in astrology too. And I can feel the connection. It's crazy. I wish I could explain it." The honesty that dyed her words made a genuine grin tug his lips upward.

"I feel comfort in knowing that I'm not the only one that feels that way." Hans leaned toward her, just close enough to let their lips brush gently.

She inched closer to him, pushing her skirt up to her waist simultaneously. She placed one knee on either side of his hips, and took his wine glass into her hand to put it on the end table opposite hers. "So when do you think my birthday is?" She pushed those disobedient chunks of hair around her face behind her ear for what felt like the millionth time that day and rested her hands on her knees.

His eyes narrowed as he rolled his lips, studying her. "June."

Krista shook her head again. He was just too good. "Damn. June 19th."

"I've told you before that I'm excellent at reading people." He couldn't help but laugh when she rolled her eyes. "And reading you is a pleasure," he said, lowering his voice as his hands moved around the back of her head. He grasped each of the tails of the ribbon she'd been wearing in her hair and pulled it loose.

Her own hand brushed over his as she pulled the ribbon completely out of her hair and combed out the tangles that it left behind. She lowered her hands back to her lap, and she could feel his fingers grazing her scalp as they delved into her hair. The massage of his fingertips on her scalp caused her eyes to close and lean into his touch. "I'd go to the ends of the Earth to make you happy," he breathed over her lips before catching them fully this time.

His words felt sincere, and not as if they were being said just to get her in bed. His apparent desire for her was shifting to her and not just her body, and that was much more than she had bargained for. Suddenly, her somewhat unwarranted confession spilled out onto his lips … She couldn't keep it in. She could just blame it on that glass of red anyway. She spoke in German with a low voice, barely above a whisper. "I think a lot about what we could be."

Author's Note: Okay, so I used Christoph Waltz's birthday as Landa's. But fun fact, it's the same day as Ernst Kaltenbrunner's and I didn't know that until I started writing this story.

Also, side note, if you haven't watched The Consultant and Most Dangerous Game New York, I 12/10 recommend. I accidentally stayed up until like five in the morning last week finishing them both and I'm not even ashamed.