Healing A Soul

Hello All...
I hope you enjoy this... please review!

Pairings: Hugue/OC

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The city was quiet, a soft snow falling upon the rooftops and the lights of the street illuminating a soft glow upon the people walking about outside. Hugue watched silently from the window of the hotel, gazing upon the happy couples down below.

One in particularly had captured his attention. The man was tall and young, quite handsome from what he could tell, and beyond happy. The young woman with him shared the same joy, laughing to the nighttime sky and holding onto the gentleman she was with. A tender kiss was shared and Hugue caught sight of their obvious happiness, a small ring upon her left hand.

A small smile broke free from his usual mask of disgust to show delight in the simplicity of love that these two people had for one another. It never really mattered who the person was, somehow a feeling as simple as love could pull emotions out of even the coldest man. In and of itself, love was a beautiful idea. To him it was no different, but circumstances were.

Love seemed to be a sentiment he would most likely never partake in for who would have him? Not only was he a preist… which in all reality didn’t enter the equation of the problems. He would never be like the other members of AX, such as Abel and Vaclav, who followed Caterina around as if she were the key to everything. No, he held no loyalty to Caterina or his “vows”. His priesthood was only for convenience not actual meaning. In fact he wasn’t sure if he even believed in God as it was. If there was God… would his family be gone? Would the world be in turmoil if there was a God? No, he didn’t think so, but still the words of God and hope poured from his lips to offer some sort of naïve comfort to the inhabitants of this earth who would seek it from him.

So no, God and his “priesthood” was not a factor. More of it was him himself. He was cold, distant, and as some would say, loveless. That image suited him fine, but in some respects it broke him. He longed for the simplicity like that of the couple he gazed upon. The soft laughs, gentle hugs and tender kisses they shared were enough to melt some of the iciness of his own soul. Yet still, who would have him? So bent on revenge was he, who could understand his pain? Who could love the monster he had become?

Yes, he had become a monster. He was determined to kill those who oppressed others, and destined to search out those who had taken everything from him. Yet still, as he gazed upon the couple on the streets below, he knew that his problems went further than that. In truth he was scared.

Terrified actually, because even though he had distanced himself successfully for so long, someone threatened to break through this façade he had created.

It was his partner. Sister Nora. The new sister that had transferred into the AX unit after Sister Noelle had been lost to them. Caterina had felt the need to bring in a new agent, and this woman she found had been perfect. She was an excellent field agent, and skilled in combat. Not only that but she was warm and open to the rest of the team, making the perfect companion for those involved in AX. In short she was the perfect agent, but for Hugue she was a complete pain. At least that’s what he preferred to exhibit to those around him, including her.

Caterina had placed her with him for her first mission, and since then Nora had been more than willing to volunteer to be his partner every time he was sent on a mission. Occasionally she had requested him as her partner, and Caterina would agree, even when he clearly wasn’t the best option. Since then, Caterina had begun to just place them together without question. In the four months she had been there not only had she completely won everyone else over and managed to completely annoy him, she did the one thing no one ever had.

She made him fall completely in love with her.

Not that he hadn’t resisted, because he had. Yet somehow she did it, and no matter how hard he himself denied it, he knew it was true. She was reckless and excitable and whenever she put herself in danger he was there to rescue her. And with anyone else the cold shoulder was delivered afterward, but not her. She would get a sound scolding for her complete lack of caution. While his rage and frustration would build and be unleashed she would merely smile at him with those adoring blue eyes of hers, and apologize for upsetting him. It was almost as if she did it on purpose. But why? Why him when there were so many others she could share her affections for. There were so many other people who would deserve and want them and wouldn’t turn from her so harshly. So many others he would gladly cut down if ever they touched her.

He wanted her desperately, he longed for her smiles and the gentle touches she would give him while Caterina was briefing them. Or the tender kisses to his cheek when he would mend her wounds as a silent thank you for his troubles. She never caught him watching her longingly. The way he would watch her in their hotel rooms as she would sit and brush her long dark blonde hair. The way he would watch her as she sat upon his bed discussing with him the next day and the things they would do. The way he watched her every moment he could.

Yet still the fear of her loss weighed heavily upon his mind, and prevented his pursuit of her. That and the doubt of her own affections. Naturally she was a warm open person. She laughed openly at Abel’s jokes, and would hug Leon and Tres when she was excited. But within his own head he had decided that her touches and kisses she bestowed on him were special, when he had no right to think so.

Why couldn’t it be as simple as the couple he continued to watch. Clearly they didn’t have much by the state of their dress he could tell, but their happiness was all they seemed to need. The love they felt for each other warmed his own cold heart as he gazed down at them in the snowy streets. Was he so naïve to think he deserved the same, and with his partner no less. A woman who had devoted herself to “God” and saving others, could he be so blind as to think she could find love for him in any other way than a friendship?

Could he be so ridiculous as to think that perhaps she was here to help save his own soul?

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The hot water pounded on her tired back, soothing the tension from the days activities. They had been on the mission for almost a week and had at last finished. It had been a long exhausting week.

Not just the mission either. She had never been with Hugue for this long, and while normally she would welcome it, it was harder now.

It had been a challenge in the beginning to get him to open up to her, to talk to her in fact. However, she had been successful. In fact she had gotten him to smile a few times. That was a rare treat indeed. His beautiful green eyes sparkled ever so slightly when he would. It made her heart skip every time. In his presence she felt like a child with her first crush, and while it aggravated her, it thrilled her all the same. She thought for certain she had outgrown her teenage impulses, but she found that she hadn’t when he was around. Any other man and she would quickly dismiss these feelings, but not with Hugue. With him she welcomed them, even though he was a greater challenge than any other man would ever oppose. That’s why she liked him.

Caterina had informed her of a certain duty she wished her to carry out. Simply it was to gain Father Hugue’s trust and draw him to a more stable position within AX. She had done a good job so far, however, she never anticipated to have feelings for him.

Now that she did she longed to be near him every minute of every day. The only problem with that was is now Hugue seemed to be closing her out just as before. He wasn’t receptive to her as much, and lately he had been spending his evenings out wandering the streets instead of staying in with her.

Exhausted she picked up the soap and began to wash over her worn out body. Slowly she dragged the lathered wash cloth along her arms, and torso, paying close attention to the scars she had accumulated since being in the AX organization. Most were just cuts and scrapes that hadn’t healed, but a few were there to stay. Especially the one Hugue himself had given her.

Reverently she let her fingertips trail the scared flesh of her stomach. The scar started slightly under her breast and stretched down and across an inch from her belly button. It hadn’t been deep, and luckily he hadn’t been fully alert otherwise she would probably be dead. However it had still scarred, and in secret she loved this mark he had left upon her. The attack had been an accident. She had startled him when he was sleeping.

He had woke her in the middle of the night with a soft whimper. She wasn’t sure she had heard it at first, she really wasn’t sure what she had heard. Then she had heard it again and looked to where she knew Hugue to be. He was on his side with his knees pulled to his chest. This was certainly out of the ordinary and carefully she had gotten out of bed to make her way to his side. The look on his face was enough to break her heart. He looked like someone was slowly torturing him. Obviously he was dreaming and it was most likely of his past. She had never pried as to what had happened to him, but from gossip and things Caterina had told her… his past was far from a happy one. She had watched as a lone tear escaped his closed eye, and carefully she had reached out to wipe it away. That had done it, he woke up and attacked.

Everything had happened so fast, all she knew when it was over was he was standing over her and she was slumped against the wall. Her hand was covered in blood and his blade was drawn.

He never said a word to her as he cleaned her wound that night, and while it had hurt for several days afterward, she was glad she had it. This way she had something to remember him by always.

That had happened over two months ago, and sometimes it still ached. Every night in the shower for the past two months she would spend time to memorize the feel of it, remembering the feel of his smooth hands against her aching skin. Perhaps this made her pathetic, but with his withdrawals from her for the past few weeks she had nothing else to turn to.

She couldn’t have him, but she had this. It really did make her a little pathetic, but that was ok. At least she didn’t ever have to tell anyone about it.

Standing fully under the heavy down pour of hot water once more, she let the soap wash away and the weariness of the day. She was clean, and too soon for her taste she turned off the water signaling her shower was over and she now had to go back to the room and be ignored all evening.

Tired, she stepped from the small stall and dried herself off, taking her time. Pulling on her night shirt, she took one last look at herself and deemed her appearance decent enough. With a sigh she reached for the door and exited out of her little haven to receive her partner.

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He was lost to his own thoughts and never heard the water turn off from the small bathroom behind him. However he did hear the door to the bathroom open. He could practically feel her presence behind him and the heat wafting from the open door. She was watching him and every nerve in his body was alive to her attention. He didn’t know why but something within him snapped at that moment. It was all too much for him. Her soft gaze washing over him. Her eyes glued to his body, as if she were waiting for something. As if she was expecting something.

If there truly was a God he wasn’t sure he believed in, why did he put her in his path? To torture him? To break him further? Because it sure as hell wasn’t to put him at ease or make him feel worthy. Her presence taunted him, and offered him the hope of happiness but couldn’t deliver anything to him.

His body felt light and warm, and his vision began to blur as he continued to watch the couple below. He felt like he was drowning, struggling to get to the surface for air, but couldn’t break through. His breath sped up, threatening to overwhelm him and the couple became a blur as his vision was clouded further by the moisture that had begun to build over his cold green eyes.

Then he heard it, her soft patient voice, breaking through the noiselessness that had begun to smother him. His name was uttered once then twice, begging for his attention.

He couldn’t deny her, no matter how hard he had tried, no matter how frightened he was. No matter how much he wanted to. He was tired, body and soul and he longed for something more, something he prayed she would offer him.

Slowly he turned away from the streets and the couple that basked in the warmth of their happiness, and toward the woman he desperately ached for that could give him his own. As her warm blue gaze came to meet his own, he could no longer hold his tears in and slowly his weakness began to pour forth. For the first time since his family was taken, he reached out to this woman that had come to be so important to him, with his tears.

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Ok, hope you guys didn't hate it that much. It just kinda struck me... I love Abel, but Hugue desperately needs some attention. He's getting a little here and there, but I really wanted a Hugue story... so I hope you liked it. Please review, I haven't had a story up in a while so I hope I didn't suck horribly! Let me know.