Project 43: Healing

Enchanté

"We'll come visit. You can't get rid of me that easily," Sam smiled. 

Bilguun had driven the men to Paris where Sam and Steve were able to get a small jet from one of their old contacts. After five days in Troyes, Steve had gotten a message from Natasha and now he and Sam were about to leave for Tajikistan, leaving Elias behind once again.

"I know," Elias said, smiling back at his friend. Over the years, Elias had really grown close to the man, even if he was truly annoying at times.

"I didn't want to leave you again," Steve said as Sam stepped aside, leaving the brothers to have their moment.

"You do understand that it's different this time, right?" Elias said with a raised eyebrow. "This time you have a reason, you're not leaving me with an abusive monster, and you're not going no contact or completely abandoning me leaving me with no other choice than to go to war to escape."

"What I'm saying...," Elias said after Steve just stood there, frozen, not understanding what he could answer. "...is that it's going to be fine. I'm not a little kid anymore waiting for my brother to come back."

"I promised to be there for you," Steve said but was interrupted by Elias punching him square in the face. It wasn't strong enough to leave any real noticeable damage, but strong enough for Steve to stumble back holding his face, and for both Sam and Bilguun to yell something in shock.

"Don't make promises you can't keep and don't get so angsty."

After Steve and Sam took off, Elias asked Bilguun to drop him off in the city center.

"I can't thank you enough," Elias said as his friend parked the car.

"We look out for each other, right?" Bilguun reminded the man of the promise they made over a decade earlier.

"Always," Elias said with a smile before getting out of the car and watching his friend disappear into the busy traffic.

The street had never been so busy, or Elias just never noticed it. The usually quiet part of the city seemed to be swarming with people, cars, and bikes all trying to get somewhere as fast as possible. Still, Elias didn't move, he just stared at the building, remembering the first time he walked in there. He would never be able to repay the kindness and compassion Agathe showed for him throughout the years.

Slowly, Elias walked up the stairs, listening to the space with every silent step he took, trying to figure out who was in there. The walls were still covered in drawings but somehow Agathe had been able to fill them up even more, leaving close to none of the white wall exposed. Édith Piaf sang from an old record somewhere in the room, bringing Elias back through the years. He remembered assassinating a man while the singer was still singing on the radio, but more recently, he remembered all the times Agathe sat behind him, gently cutting his hair as she was the only person the soldier allowed to stand behind him.

"Excusez-moi, êtes-vous toujours ouvert ?" Elias asked as he saw the short figure sitting behind the counter. Agathe rarely ever sat down, but Elias then remembered she wasn't a young woman anymore and had probably aged a lot in the years he had been away.

"Oui! Oui nous sommes. Comment puis-je t'aider?" Agathe chirped from her chair and slowly got up. Elias wanted to help her but knew the woman never wanted to be helped like that. She always said it made her feel too old. As she got up, Agathe locked eyes with Elias who had forgotten to put on his brown contact lenses.

"Emich? Est-ce toi?" Agathe asked with tears already in her eyes. Elias could only smile and nod before the woman had already speed-walked up to him and wrapped the soldier in the tightest hug he had ever experienced.